Local News/Interview
WNBA President on Her Life, the League and the Olympics
L
aurel J. Richie has
more than three
decades of experi-
ence in consumer market-
ing, corporate branding,
public relations, and cor-
porate management, with
a long track record of
developing award-win-
ning campaigns that trans-
form brands and drive
business results. As Presi-
dent of the Women’s
National Basketball Associ-
ation (WNBA), she over-
sees all of the league’s
day-to-day business and
league operations.
Prior to joining the
WNBA in 2011, Richie was
Senior Vice President and
Chief Marketing Officer for
Girl Scouts of the USA,
where she was responsible
for the Girl Scouts’ brand,
communications, publish-
ing, marketing, and web-
based initiatives. She also
spent time at the advertising
agency Ogilvy & Mather,
where she worked on a
series of campaigns for
prominent clients, including
American Express, Pep-
peridge Farm, Pond’s, Hug-
gies, and Kotex. She sat on
Ogilvy New York’s Operat-
ing Board and was a found-
ing member of the agency’s
Employee Advisory Coun-
cil on Diversity and Inclu-
sion.
Richie’s pro-bono clients
have included the Museum
for African Art, the Hospital
for Special Surgery, and the
New York City Commission
on Human Rights. In addi-
tion, she has mentored
young women and girls as
part of Big Brothers Big
Sisters, the 4A’s Multicul-
tural Advertising Intern Pro-
gram, Xavier University’s
Youth Motivation Task
Force, and the Advertising
Educational Foundation.
In that moment, I made a
C ELEBRITY private promise to myself
I would do every-
I NTERVIEW that
thing in my power to
bring more diversity to
these rooms where lead-
by Kam
ers gathered and deci-
Williams
sions were made. As my
career unfolded and I
worked on a wide range
of clients and gained
A recipient of the experience across lots of
YMCA’s Black Achiever’s different industries, the
Award and one of Ebony businesses I enjoyed the
Magazine’s Outstanding most where those that
Women in Marketing and focused on women. This
Communications, Richie passion really came to the
was named one of the 25 forefront when I made the
Influential Black Women in move from advertising to
Business in 2011 by The the Girl Scouts and then,
Network Journal. A gradu- very clearly, when I made
ate of Dartmouth College the decision to join the
with a bachelor’s degree in WNBA. As the longest-run-
I am particularly passionate
about mentoring young black
girls. While we are a very
diverse group, there is a
special bond that connects us
to each other
policy studies, Richie lives
in New York City.
Kam Williams: Hi, Lau-
rel, thanks for the time.
Laurel J. Richie: Thanks,
Kam.
KW: What interested you
in going from the Girl
Scouts to the WNBA?
LJR: Early on in my
career, when I was working
at an advertising agency, I
went to a very senior-level
meeting and I distinctly
remember the inside of the
boardroom: every single
seat was occupied by a man.
ning women’s professional
sports league in the country,
the WNBA is a great prod-
uct comprising 132 of the
best female athletes in the
world. And when you look
beyond the players to own-
ers, coaches, trainers,
accountants, and chief oper-
ating officers — it’s a won-
derful example of what
women can achieve in
sports and in business.
KW: How do you hope to
generate greater interest in
the league and its superstars
like Maya Moore and Can-
dace Parker?
LJR: The summer of
2012 is turning out to be
very special. We are cele-
brating the 40th anniversary
of Title IX and the
Olympics are taking place
in London, and we have
seen increased interest in
and exposure of our players.
The WNBA is very proud of
the fact that all 12 members
of the U.S. Women’s Senior
National Team are WNBA
players. For them to repre-
sent our country on an inter-
national stage is terrific.
Millions around the world
will see them and have the
opportunity to get to know
them not only as great ath-
letes, but as interesting and
inspiring women.
KW: Why is there seem-
ingly a stigma on women’s
athletics which is reflected
in a lag in the WNBA’s rat-
ings in comparison to the
NBA’s?
LJR: We are a young
league – now in our 16th
season – and we have seen
our attendance and viewer-
ship increase for each of the
past five years. Our growth
is a direct result of the fact
that our game is exciting
and highly competitive, and
our in-arena experience is a
ton of fun. Once people
come to a game, they are
hooked. In many ways, I
think the WNBA is chang-
ing the way America views
women and is having a pos-
itive impact on the way
America views professional
athletes. We’re showing the
world what women can be
as athletes and what athletes
can be as citizens.
KW: To what do you
credit you’re not only
climbing the corporate lad-
der but breaking the glass
ceiling and reaching the pin-
nacle of success in the busi-
ness world, a rarity for
Laurel Richie
African-American females?
LJR: My parents. As far
back as I can remember,
their commitment to mak-
ing a positive impact on the
communities in which they
lived and worked was equal
only to their commitment to
helping my sisters, brother,
and me achieve our dreams.
KW: Tell me a little about
what mentoring young
black girls means to you?
LJR: Throughout my
career, I have benefitted
from the experience and
counsel of a wide range of
people who took a very per-
sonal interest in me. As a
result, I am always happy to
share lessons learned from
my journey with others. I
am particularly passionate
about mentoring young
black girls. While we are a
very diverse group, there is
a special bond that connects
us to each other. When I
work with them, I see them
in me and I believe they see
me in them. By coming
together, we are able to
show the world the power
and the promise of black
girls.
KW: Will part of your
mission
involve
also
encouraging your WNBA
players to see themselves as
role models and to devote
more of their free time to
mentoring?
LJR: I don’t have to
encourage our players to be
positive role models, as that
is something that has always
been important to them and
something that they very
willingly embrace. Whether
it’s through the WNBA
Cares program or through
their
own
initiatives,
WNBA players give as
much off the court as they
See CELEBRITY on page 8
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