U.S. Soccer Vice President Of Marketing Kay Bradley Named To Sports Business Journal’s Game Changers Class Of 2023
13th Annual Class of SBJ Game Changers Recognizes Women in Sports Who Are Leaders and Mentors in the Industry
CHICAGO (July 24, 2023) – U.S. Soccer Vice President of Marketing Kay Bradley has been named to Sports Business Journal’s 2023 class of SBJ Game Changers. The Game Changers program highlights women in executive roles who have brought new approaches and ideas to sports business, have been leaders on significant projects and programs, and who are leaders and mentors to other women in sports business.
“It was an honor to have been nominated and I am thrilled to have been selected among such an amazing group of industry leaders,” said Bradley. “I have been fortunate to be a part of an organization that is ever evolving and continually pushing the boundaries of sport and have had the chance to collaborate with many incredible people who are dedicated to driving change and growing soccer. It's been an exciting ride and yet there is still so much opportunity ahead.”
The Game Changers Conference will take place on October 24 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York. Launched in 2013, the Game Changers Conference examines the multiple ways women intersect with sports as athletes, executives and consumers. Past speakers have included former PepsiCo Chairman & CEO Indra Nooyi, Ally Financial CMO Andrea Brimmer, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, and women’s sports pioneer Ann Meyers Drysdale.
"We’re thrilled and proud of Kay for this well-deserved recognition,” said Cone. “She is a great leader and oversees an array of important initiatives that are at the forefront of our connection to soccer fans in our country. We’re very thankful for all that she does, and we’re excited to have her join the list of inspiring women at U.S. Soccer who have earned this amazing honor.”
In her role, Bradley plays an integral part in how the federation and all its teams and properties – including the U.S. Women and Men's National Teams, Youth National Teams, and Extended National Teams – are perceived by fans and external audiences. Kay's responsibilities include driving the brand forward while overseeing U.S. Soccer's Marketing, Brand and Creative, and Content departments.
Bradley leads the charge in the development and execution of marketing campaigns for the USMNT and USWNT leading up to the world's biggest sporting events including the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. In the lead-up to the 2022 Men's World Cup, U.S. Soccer launched its 'Only Forward / Solo Pa'lante' campaign, which highlighted the young, diverse and global-minded spirit of the USMNT as the team worked to change the way the world views American Soccer. Ahead of the 2023 Women's World Cup, U.S. Soccer launched 'Always Possible / Todo es Posible' which represents not being limited by predefined boundaries and taking the initiative to write one’s own future. The campaign represents the many voices of athletes and fans and the cyclical relationship of both inspiring each other.
She is also responsible for pushing forward fan initiatives that promote inclusion for all, including Fan engagement activations in collaboration with our strategic partners, and she led the launch of the Insiders loyalty program, which reimagined the way U.S. Soccer communicates with fans to invite moderate and casual fans into the fold beyond the teams' dedicated supporter groups.
Bradley joins Pinky Raina (2022) and Amy Hopfinger (2021) as U.S. Soccer staff to earn SBJ Game Changer awards, while Chief Legal Counsel Karen Leetzow also earned the honor in 2012 while serving as Deputy General Counsel at NASCAR.