Firm is first to combine search, leadership consulting disciplines for sport industry

Sports Industry Veteran Joe Bailey Leads practice

Tapping into the leadership and talent demands across an industry approaching $1 trillion globally — $440 billion in the U.S. alone – Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSII) has launched a new global practice dedicated to the sport business. The Global Sport Leadership Advisory Group is led by Joe Bailey, an executive with substantial leadership, consulting and recruiting experience. Mr. Bailey most recently served as CEO of U.S.-based Dolphins Enterprises, which included the Miami Dolphins and Dolphin Stadium.

“People are the only form of sustainable competitive advantage,” says Mr. Bailey. “Heidrick & Struggles is the first firm to recognize the synergies that we can create for clients by offering seamless leadership services. By integrating executive recruiting and leadership consulting, we help our clients look into the future, identify opportunities for innovation and growth, recruit the right talent and assist in building a comprehensive strategy for deploying winning business models.”

“The industry of sport is the perfect segment to launch this new service,” explains Mr. Bailey. “Sports has migrated from a fragmented collection of constituents to a powerful, consequential, and integrated global industry that influences 70% of the world’s population. The sport ‘ecosystem’ now encompasses everything from content providers such as leagues and teams, to distribution channels including media and facilities, to goods and services providers delivering equipment, food and beverage service, healthcare and more.”

All companies in this ecosystem – from teams to multinational corporations — are under enormous pressure to generate revenue, reduce costs and leverage their brands. As costs skyrocket and competition intensifies, all segments of the sport industry are more aware than ever how important the people factor is behind the desk as well as on the field.

“Heidrick & Struggles provides the perfect platform to offer this service,” comments Mr. Bailey. “With its extensive global coverage and offering an array of services, the firm is uniquely positioned to establish an effective new model for professional services offerings in the human capital market.” The 42 Heidrick & Struggles consultants in the practice worldwide are working with both “peak performance” organizations that are known as industry leaders, as well as with companies who want to bring in the talent to take them to this level.

Mr. Bailey joins Heidrick & Struggles from the Dolphins organization, where he was responsible for the NFL Miami Dolphins franchise, the 75,000-seat Dolphin Stadium, and other real estate holdings. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Commissioner of the Thoroughbred Racing Association and spent 10 years in executive search consulting, where he built and led the Media, Sport, and Entertainment practice of a global search firm. Mr. Bailey entered the sports industry with the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. During his 19-year tenure, he built the “America’s Team” brand and participated in a variety of accomplishments reflected in the Cowboys winning 13 divisional titles, five NFC titles, and two Super Bowl championships. Following that, he was tapped by the NFL to create the NFL World League in five countries. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mr. Bailey also completed Harvard’s Advanced Management Program.

About Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSII) is the world’s premier provider of senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services, including talent management, board building, executive on-boarding and M&A effectiveness. For more than 55 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals worldwide. Today, Heidrick & Struggles’ leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit www.heidrick.com.

For more information on the Global Sport Leadership Advisory Group, visit http://www.heidrick.com/ExecutiveSearch/Industry/ConsumerMarkets/Pages/GlobalSportLeadershipAdvisoryGroup.aspx.