LEAH BEASLEY
ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, MARKETING AND FAN ENGAGEMENT, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV.
CURRENT CITY: Starkville, Miss.
HOMETOWN: Ruston, La.
UNIVERSITY: Louisiana Tech, Ruston.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Athletic marketing GA and then assistant athletic director/marketing and game management at Louisiana Tech.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB: Making the fans and student athletes happy.
WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WEREN'T DOING THIS: Leading tours on a catamaran in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
MENTOR: Scott Stricklin: he embodies and embraces all of the qualities of a great leader.
FREE TIME PURSUITS: Walk my dog, Tayeaux, to the river or lake and go boating and waterskiing.
TOP SONG ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW: Something by Lauren Daigle.
MOST EMBARRASSING SONG ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW: “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen.
WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU: I eat everybody’s leftovers. They call me Leftover Leah.
BEST ADVICE EVER RECEIVED: Be yourself.
IF YOU COULD HAVE AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE: Rocky Road ice cream.
BIGGEST GUILTY PLEASURE: Taco Bell.
FAVORITE LIVE EVENT YOU'VE ATTENDED: Indigo Girls in Atlanta at Lilith Fair and then again at Duling Hall, Jackson, Miss.
DESIRED SUPER POWER: To fly.
MALU BARRIOS
DIRECTOR OF EVENT SERVICES, ICC SYDNEY
CURRENT CITY & HOMETOWN: Sydney, Australia
UNIVERSITY: Univ. of the Philippines, Quezon City.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Banquet sales executive, The Manila Hotel.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR CURRENT JOB: Progression within AEG Ogden. Prior to my current job, I opened and managed the Darwin (Australia) Convention Centre for eight years. Then I moved to Sydney to run the Sydney Exhibition Centre at Glebe Island, which was the interim venue that hosted Sydney’s trade and consumer exhibitions during the build of ICC Sydney.
YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB: The people that I deal with – clients, stakeholders, suppliers or our team. I learn something new every day.
WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WEREN'T IN YOUR JOB: Running my own bed and breakfast.
WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD DO WHEN YOU WERE A KID: Become a nun.
WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME: Stand up paddle boarding, walking my dog and discovering Sydney.
ONE-DAY ESCAPE: Leura, a little town in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, 90 minutes from Sydney.
TOP SONG ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW: “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson.
MOST EMBARRASSING SONG ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW: “Even Now” by Barry Manilow.
WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU: I am really an introvert.
BEST ADVICE EVER RECEIVED: Have a vision for everything you do. Learn how to compromise along the way, but never lose sight of that vision. It’s okay to make mistakes.
OTTO BENEDICT
SVP & GM OF FACILITIES, LA FOOTBALL CLUB
CURRENT CITY: Redondo Beach, Calif.
HOMETOWN: Pasadena, Calif.
UNIVERSITY: California Polytechnic, Pomona; California State Long Beach.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Event operations associate at Wasserman Media Group, where I broke down events for the Los Angeles Avengers Arena Football team.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR CURRENT JOB: I got a job with AEG at Home Depot Center, which is now StubHub Center in Carson. I left AEG to go to work with a local event company and that all helped me land the new job with LAFC.
ONE-DAY ESCAPE: Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii.
TOP SONG ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW: Anything by Chris Stapleton.
MOST EMBARRASSING SONG ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW: “Ice, Ice, Baby” by Vanilla Ice. I have no shame about it; I turn it up loud when I hear it.
FAMOUS PERSON IN HISTORY YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET: The designer of the Roman Colosseum.
WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU: I have a huge appreciation for art and live theater.
BEST ADVICE EVER RECEIVED: Do what’s best for the building. Today I turn it into ‘do what’s best for the club.’