Most everyone in Cleveland remembers where they were when the Cavaliers won their title in 2016. Meg Murray remembers something else:
“I was so nervous, I thought I was gonna throw up,” she said.
Raised in a family of 10 in West Cleveland, Murray was a Cavs fan through and through that night, still living locally as vice president of the global legal division at IMG. Imagine her emotions two years later in 2018, when the Cavaliers offered her a job.
“I can’t describe how you pinch yourself when you get the call and they offer you the position,” Murray said. “You’re like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m actually going to work for one of the teams that I’ve been watching since I was a kid.’”
During her 25 years at IMG, she had myriad roles — starting as an admin floater before ascending to a legal position that included negotiations with MLB, the PGA Tour, Wimbledon, ESPN and EA Sports. She advised Arnold Palmer Enterprises on its trademark portfolio, transactions, licensing and IP rights.
She now oversees Cavs owner Dan Gilbert’s entire Rock Entertainment Group portfolio: the Cavaliers, the AHL Cleveland Monsters, the G League Cleveland Charge, the Rock Entertainment Sports Network and Rocket Arena. An even more transcendent duty has been her work securing the company’s 25-year partnership extension with the Cleveland Clinic and launching the under-construction Global Peak Performance Center, which will double as the Cavs’ training facility and a sports medicine/wellness/research center.
“It was one of the best opportunities for me, from a career standpoint, to jump into something that was as big as it was, and also just how impactful it’s going to be in the community,” Murray said. “I look out my window from my desk here, and I can watch it being built right in front of my eyes.”
Meg Murray
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Business Administration
Rock Entertainment Group
Why she’s a Game Changer:
Murray has been instrumental in launching the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center, in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. The training facility will serve athletes at every level, from pros to weekend warriors and youth, as well as the community, with medical, wellness and performance resources for the region.
Born: Cleveland
Education: Ohio State University, B.S., psychology; University of Akron, J.D.
Family: Spouse, Gerry Kelly; children, Mia Kelly (22) and Maeve Kelly (19)
New place I want to travel to next: Italy, for sure. I’m drawn by the history, the architecture and the food.
Attribute I look for when hiring: Integrity.
I have a dream that one day … : Leadership in sports will reflect the diversity of the fans in the stands — with women equally represented in decision-making roles.
Best tool to keep me organized in work and in life: Microsoft Teams. It’s my all-in-one for communication, scheduling and sharing information with my team.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.sportsbusinessjournal.com ’
