Game Changing Women in Business: Dee Haslam, CEO, Haslam Sports Group & Whitney Haslam Johnson, Chief Experience Officer & Partner; Haslam Sports Group & Pilot Flying J

Dee Haslam

CEO; Managing Partner

Haslam Sports Group; Cleveland Browns

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dee-haslam-5747644/

Dee Bagwell Haslam plays an active role in several companies and in the communities in which she lives. Dee and her husband Jimmy, as owners of the Cleveland Browns and investor-operators of the Columbus Crew SC, established a clear, concise direction for the organizations, focusing on three primary goals that properly respect their fans. Their vision is to build a consistently winning team; take exceptional care of the team’s fans by providing a premier experience throughout the year; and give back to their communities.

The Browns Give Back strategy is centered on education, youth football and community engagement. Dee is actively involved in creating impactful solution-based programs to promote attendance, school choice and volunteerism in Cleveland, Columbus and Knoxville. Dee is a member of ExcelinEd’s Board of Directors, a national leader in the education reform movement.

Dee’s active involvement in the NFL centers around her work on three committees: Social Justice, Conduct, and Legislative. The Haslams and players from the Cleveland Browns organization have actively engaged in social justice initiatives with a particular focus on reentering society from the criminal justice system, mentorship and legislative/policy reforms.

Dee spent her business career in the television production business as CEO of RIVR Media, they have produced hundreds of hours of programming, including, the well- known “Trading Spaces,” “Whale Wars,” “Renovation Realities,” and “Escaping Polygamy.” Dee transitioned from her role as CEO at RIVR Media in early 2018 but remains a partner. Dee is also part of the family ownership group of Pilot Company.

In Tennessee, Dee serves on the State Collaborative of Reforming Education (SCORE), Emerald Youth Foundation, University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business Advisory Board and Lakeshore Park.

Her community involvement in Cleveland and Columbus, also includes serving on the Board of Directors of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, University Hospitals System, United Way of Greater Cleveland, the Greater Columbus Partnership and The Cleveland Orchestra.

Dee and Jimmy Haslam live in Cleveland, Ohio and Walland, Tennessee. They have three children, James Bagwell Haslam, Whitney Johnson and Cynthia Arnholt and six grandchildren.

Whitney Haslam Johnson

Chief Experience Officer & Partner

Haslam Sports Group & Pilot Flying J

https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneyhaslamjohnson/

Whitney Haslam Johnson is part of the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), which operates the Cleveland Browns and Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew SC. Whitney is also the Chief Experience Officer for Pilot Flying J.

Whitney provides her communications, marketing, guest and team member expertise to HSG, the Browns and Columbus Crew, in addition to her role with Pilot Flying J. Sports Business Journal named Whitney a “Game Changer” in 2018.

Whitney, who became a member of Pilot Flying J’s Board of Directors in 2015, is responsible for elevating the company’s guest and team member experience by working with multiple departments across the company to ensure ongoing refinement of its brand image. From marketing and communications to modernizing facilities and implementing new technologies and innovative programs, she focuses on improving guest experiences to ensure that loyalty and satisfaction are the primary emphasis for every Pilot Flying J interaction. Whitney’s contributions have been instrumental in further establishing Pilot Flying J as one of the most dynamic and recognizable brands across North America.

Before being elevated to her current position, Whitney worked as category manager and creative services manager for Pilot Travel Centers LLC. Prior to joining Pilot Flying J in 2005, she was an as assistant controller at Marriott International Hotels from 2001-03 and led the Southeast fundraising efforts for the 2003-04 Bush-Cheney reelection campaign.

As a leader in the community, Whitney has served on the board of directors for the Knoxville Museum of Art and Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, as well as on committees for the United Way of Greater Knoxville.

Whitney earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, in 2001. She and her husband, JW, currently reside in Cleveland, Ohio with their three sons.