Alumni Focus: Leigh Michaud – ESPN Remote Operations

As a part of a new series, we turn the spotlight on members of the UConn Sport Management Program (SMP) Alumni Community, focusing on the diversity of experience and breadth of knowledge they have gained within the industry. Designed to help current and future SMP students learn to navigate and understand the real-world intricacies of sport management, we thank SMP alumni for their valuable contributions and insight. Today, the focus is on UConn alumna Leigh Michaud (B.A. in Sociology, 2009, M.S. in Sport Management, 2012), who works in the remote operations team for ESPN.

UConn Alumna Leigh Michaud (B.A. in Sociology, 2009; M.S in Sport Management, 2012) is an excellent example of determination and perseverance for UConn students looking to break into the sports industry. Having set her sights in college on getting one of the highly-sought after jobs at ESPN after graduation, she never gave up, though there were periods where job prospects at the leading sport and entertainment broadcaster in Bristol, CT appeared to be bleak.

Without a doubt, her tenacity paid dividends, as today she holds a key role in planning the logistical and technical operations of ESPN College Football. So what did she do when her contacts and calls to ESPN failed to result in any job offers? She went to a local temporary job agency to get that all-important “foot in the door” opportunity – a temporary minimum wage job in the mailroom of the organization.

“The temp agency said that I probably wouldn’t be interested in taking the mailroom position, as I was overqualified for the job,” said Michaud, “But I jumped at the opportunity!” She was in good company starting in the mailroom, as number of other successful ESPN employees broke in to the organization through it as well. One prime example: former ESPN President George Bodenheimer.

It turned out to be a fantastic job for her, as it gave her unfettered access to all divisions and departments across the ESPN campus – which then allowed her to put her networking skills to great use. She got to know key people throughout the company, was able to learn details of all the different types of jobs at ESPN and find out what role was the perfect fit for her interests and ambitions. In two months she was hired out of the mailroom for a part-time job in ESPN3 Operations. Six months after that, she was offered a full-time position in College Football Operations.

She recently spoke to Dr. Joseph Cooper’s Sport Marketing class, sharing her experiences in the industry and advice for persevering in one’s attempts to break in to the industry. Leigh’s advice to students? “Don’t be afraid to apply for entry-level and part-time positions,” she said. “Apply for all sorts of different opportunities… be open, be honest, be yourself… and don’t ever give up!”

Alumni Focus: Mike Soltys – ESPN Vice President, Corporate Communications

As a part of a new series, we turn the spotlight on members of the UConn Sport Management Program (SMP) Alumni Community, focusing on the diversity of experience and breadth of knowledge they have gained within the industry. Designed to help current and future SMP students learn to navigate and understand the real-world intricacies of sport management, we thank SMP alumni for their valuable contributions and insight. Today, the focus is on UConn alumnus Mike Soltys (Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, 1981), who now serves as Vice President, Corporate Communications at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, CT.

On Monday, March 31, ESPN Vice President of Communications Mike Soltys came to UConn to speak with the university’s Marketing Club about his job. Soltys, an alumnus of UConn’s communications program, graduated in 1981 and has been working at ESPN for 35 years.

Soltys’ professional career started before he even left UConn. As a student, an ESPN representative came to speak and talk about internships, which led to his first opportunity with the company.

“I am the first and last unpaid intern,” Soltys joked.

Such dedication and tenure to the company has brought Soltys much success throughout his career. In his current position, he is in charge of public relations for television and radio outlets associated with ESPN, along with conducting research on viewer and listener ratings and interests.

However, things have changed a bit since he started. The advent of social media has made the industry even more fast-paced. Because of this, he claimed, handling public relations effectively and efficiently remains a priority. Nowadays, his operation uses Facebook, Twitter, and ESPN’s Media Zone , which was developed strictly for press relations, for branding and public relations purposes.

In all, though, Soltys praised the emergence of Twitter, claiming it is one of the best engines to connect the ESPN brand to a large audience.

“It is extremely important to have good relations with fans,” Soltys said.

Having been a recipient of networking from his days at UConn, Soltys was glad to come back to campus, share his wisdom, and serve as a fellow resource for the Husky community. Did he expect to be in this position 35 years ago? Not at all. But, similar to the sport product, life is certainly unpredictable.

“You have to be ready,” Soltys said.