Leaders Meet: Innovation

Andy founded and leads Cisco Emerge, a team focused on advancing the future of work. Emerge explores new technologies to create experiences that change how teams work. The Emerge team has created experimental products in areas such as AI, Augmented and Virtual Reality, and hardware design. Previously Andy started and led Norton Labs and the Emerging Products Group at Symantec. Before that he co-founded and was Chief Architect of a startup applying machine learning to detect malware.

As President, Team Marketing & Business Operations (TMBO) and Chief Innovation Officer at the NBA, Amy Brooks drives innovative decision-making and growth across the league’s business through the development and execution of new ideas and initiatives, and collaborates with the NBA’s senior leadership on setting the league’s global strategic priorities.

Brooks is also responsible for growing NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and NBA 2K League team profitability through strategic consulting on all aspects of business operations, including ticket and sponsorship sales, marketing, digital, customer retention, arena operations, staffing, analytics and expense control.

Steve Pagliuca is a Managing Director at Bain Capital, a leading global investment firm based in Boston. Mr. Pagliuca joined Bain & Company in 1982 and founded the Information Partners Venture Capital Fund for Bain Capital in 1989. As a Managing Director of Bain Capital, he has worked with his partners to help build one of the world’s leading investment companies with over US$67 billion in assets under management. He has been an active investor in the media, financial services and healthcare industries.

Mr. Pagliuca is also a Co-Owner and Managing General Partner of the World Champion Boston Celtics. As a Managing Partner and Chairman of the Basketball Committee, he has focused on the development and improvement of the basketball operations. Mr. Pagliuca is also President of the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation. The Shamrock Fund helps children gain access to housing, healthcare and other services in partnership with local charities. The Shamrock Foundation has become a leader in community outreach in professional sports.

James Pallotta is the founder and Chairman of Raptor Capital Management LP. In August 1993, he joined Tudor Investment Corporation where he served as Director of U.S. Equities Group, later rising to Vice Chairman. He was a Senior Vice President and Director of Research at Essex Investment Management Company. Mr. Pallotta serves on the boards of many philanthropic organizations which include: Trustee of the Boston Children’s Hospital; The Buoniconti Fund; Big Brother Association and Berklee College of Music.

Mr. Pallotta is a Member of the Executive Board of the Boston Celtics and in August 2012 he became President of AS Roma. Mr. Pallotta was born and raised in Boston. He received an M.B.A. degree from Northeastern University and a B.B.A. degree in Finance from the University of Massachusetts.

Caroline Drucker currently leads Instagram’s Strategic Partnerships in EMEA. Prior to Instagram she worked as Global Brand Manager at Etsy and was the first Product Manager at SoundCloud, the world’s leading social sound platform. Caroline also has significant experience in media publishing – playing a key role in establishing VICE magazine in the German market and spearheading the digital strategy behind the re-launch of der Freitag, a left-leaning weekly national newspaper.

Greg McStravick is the president of database and data management at SAP, leading development and go-to-market (GTM) teams for SAP’s core technology innovation platform – SAP HANA® – as well as for SAP® databases (including SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise and SAP IQ), SAP solutions for enterprise information management, middleware, and SAP® Vora™. Formerly, Greg led the GTM teams and strategy for some of SAP’s largest and fastest-growing areas of business including SAP HANA, analytics, database software, and SAP Cloud Platform. With more than 20 years of progressive experience as a leader in technology solution sales management and strategy, Greg has held senior leadership positions throughout SAP, including president of U.S. operations, where he was responsible for driving customer success and developing new opportunities for SAP to expand the business across the entire United States.

Scott O’Neil is the Chief Executive Officer of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, an organization with the mission of becoming the most impactful sports and entertainment company in the world through the pursuit of innovation and performance, the industry’s most passionate and driven executives and engagement in the communities where its properties live, work, play and win. O’Neil is responsible for the organization’s leadership, strategic vision, operations and growth, including the pursuit and acquisition of sports, entertainment and consumer-facing properties.

He is the acting Chief Executive Officer over all properties within the organization’s portfolio and under the ownership of Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, including: the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), the New Jersey Devils (NHL), Prudential Center, a top five-ranked performance venue in the U.S. located in Newark, New Jersey; Team Dignitas, an internationally renowned esports team, the Sixers Innovation Lab Crafted by Kimball, the GRAMMY Museum Experience Prudential Center, the Delaware 87ers (NBA G League), and the Binghamton Devils (AHL).