Former CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers and author of Be Where Your Feet Are, Scott O’Neil talks about the struggle of achieving work/life balance and how he learned to approach life after years of working in the fast-paced professional sports industry. He also discusses his very public failure in his late 30s and offers lessons for others who might suffer a major professional setback throughout the course of their careers. Finally, Scott shares his approach to building a strong culture at work and what it means to be the purple water buffalo.
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About Scott (@ScottOneil)
SCOTT O’NEIL is one of the most recognized, connected and dynamic executives in the sports and entertainment industry today. He has more than 25 years of experience leading NBA, NHL and NFL teams and leagues, including the National Basketball Association, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils. His mission to build innovative, inspiring, socially impactful and high-performing teams and business organizations has earned him a reputation as a “leader of leaders.”
A Harvard Business School-educated CEO, O’Neil contends that fostering a corporate culture founded in respect, diversity, employee development and corporate social responsibility is what drives the success of the award-winning sports teams and businesses he oversees. These awards include Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Company,” Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 50 Cultures,” Sports Innovation Lab’s “Top 25 Most Innovative Professional Teams in the World” and many others. The “Most Innovative Executive in Sports” (SportTechie) and “Most Admired CEO” (Philadelphia Business Journal) has been named to lists that include the “100 People of Power and Influence” (#37, The Hockey News/Sports Illustrated), multiple “Power 100” lists (NJ Biz, Philadelphia Business Journal, Philadelphia Magazine) and more.
A decade-long Member of the NBA and NHL Board of Governors, O’Neil’s insights on the sports industry’s ability to move the global market has made him a prominent, regular voice Bloomberg, FOX Business, CNBC, CNN and across global business media. A man of faith and father of three, O’Neil’s conviction to lead a perpetually present life as he famously “runs to work” and “runs home,” guides his commitment to helping others realize their full potential.
