<\/p>\n
Most everyone in Cleveland remembers where they were when the Cavaliers won their title in 2016. Meg Murray remembers something else:<\/p>\n
\u201cI was so nervous, I thought I was gonna throw up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t describe how you pinch yourself when you get the call and they offer you the position,\u201d Murray said. \u201cYou\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, my God, I\u2019m actually going to work for one of the teams that I\u2019ve been watching since I was a kid.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
During her 25 years at IMG, she had myriad roles \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
She now oversees Cavs owner Dan Gilbert\u2019s 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\u2019s 25-year partnership extension with the Cleveland Clinic and launching the under-construction Global Peak Performance Center, which will double as the Cavs\u2019 training facility and a sports medicine\/wellness\/research center.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt 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\u2019s going to be in the community,\u201d Murray said. \u201cI look out my window from my desk here, and I can watch it being built right in front of my eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why she\u2019s a Game Changer:<\/b><\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Born: <\/b>Cleveland<\/p>\n
Education:<\/b> Ohio State University, B.S., psychology; University of Akron, J.D. <\/p>\n
Family:<\/b> Spouse, Gerry Kelly; children, Mia Kelly (22) and Maeve Kelly (19)<\/p>\n
New place I want to travel to next: <\/b>Italy, for sure. I\u2019m drawn by the history, the architecture and the food. <\/p>\n
Attribute I look for when hiring: <\/b>Integrity. <\/p>\n
I have a dream that one day \u2026 : <\/b>Leadership in sports will reflect the diversity of the fans in the stands \u2014 with women equally represented in decision-making roles.<\/p>\n
Best tool to keep me organized in work and in life:<\/b> Microsoft Teams. It\u2019s my all-in-one for communication, scheduling and sharing information with my team.<\/p>\n