Following a global public search that delivered over 500 candidates, the Confederation named former Executive Vice President with more than 20 years of experience leading sports and entertainment strategies
Miami (Tuesday, February 5, 2019) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) announced today that Heidi Pellerano has been appointed as Chief Commercial Officer, effective February 25, 2019. She will oversee the Commercial division, developing and managing strategic partnerships to maximize the commercial opportunities of the organization.
The Chief Commercial Officer will be based in Miami, FL and report directly to the General Secretary Philippe Moggio. She is a member of the executive leadership of the Confederation. In her role, Ms. Pellerano will have direct oversight of the departments of Business Development, Partnership Marketing, Digital and Emerging Technologies, Media Distribution, and Broadcast Productions.
“We are very excited to welcome Ms. Pellerano to our executive team. Her wealth of experience and proven track record in the sports and entertainment industry will help us achieve our vision for a new era of growth across our 41 Member Associations,” said Concacaf President Victor Montagliani. “Ms. Pellerano will play a crucial role in helping to build existing and new partnerships, while expanding our digital and distribution capabilities.”
Born and raised in Puerto Rico to Dominican parents, Ms. Pellerano has over 20 years of experience in delivering successful partnership strategies, win-win negotiations, as well as effective brand and marketing activations across the sports and entertainment industries. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President of Brands at Wasserman Media Group, a partnership and activation agency, which is partner to the world’s most iconic brands, properties and talent. During her tenure at Wasserman, she led the brands division, projects and business development team and also the multicultural practice. She was also instrumental in overseeing Wasserman’s strategic plan for expansion into Latin America.
Prior to Wasserman, Ms. Pellerano served as an Account Director with Raleigh, North Carolina-based sports and entertainment consulting firm OnSport, which was acquired in 2007 by Wasserman.
Ms. Pellerano started her career in sports with the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She worked on Public Relations and Player Personnel, focused on expanding the national profile of the league and its players.
Prior to entering the sports industry, Ms. Pellerano worked for ANSER as a consultant drafting future strategies and POVs for the firm’s key clients.
“I am honored to join Concacaf at such an exciting time. We share a strong passion for accelerating the growth of football in meaningful and sustainable ways,” said Ms. Pellerano. “This is a tremendous opportunity to develop mutually beneficial partnerships and strengthen the Confederation’s commercial platforms. I look forward to working closely with our Council, the 41 Member Associations and the Confederation’s partners to drive growth and bring more fans closer to football.”
The Confederation engaged in a comprehensive public search that delivered over 500 male and female candidates from across the globe and the Concacaf region. A list of final candidates was presented to the Confederation’s senior management and Council members.
Ms. Pellerano earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Duke University, with distinction, magna cum laude. She holds a Master of Science in Sports Management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business where she graduated as a Fuqua Scholar.
