The Chicago Sky announced the addition of Nadia Rawlinson as the Operating Chairman on Friday. Rawlinson joins majority owner Michael Alter and CEO Adam Fox in the front office.

“I believe in the future focus of the team,” Rawlinson said in a zoom call with media Friday. “What’s awesome about it is that I think there’s a lot of headroom for the potential of the team, which is why I think we’re at this inflection point of growth opportunities that we can unlock and go after. 

“For so long, I think so many WNBA teams have been just trying to survive, especially from a sort of operational standpoint, like we’re just trying to get through and make it. Now, it’s time to thrive.”

Rawlinson, a Lake Forest native, was the Chief People Officer of Slack Technologies before Salesforce acquired the company in 2021. She also has experience within the entertainment realm due to her time with Live Nation as the Chief Human Resources Officer.

“She does have great passion and energy, and that was really part of it,” Sky owner Michael Alter said. “Her passion is very much aligned with our vision and the values that we have, and what we’ve always been trying to do. 

“When we first met [about a year ago], we were talking about her interest in investing in the team and just kind of jumped over to the fact that she’d be a fantastic leader for us. You match that with her talents, experience, network and relationships, she seemed to be exactly what we’re what we’re looking for to kind of take us to the next level.”

Rawlinson plans to be as hands on as possible in her role with focus in creating short-term strategic initiatives and partnerships throughout the city as well as long-term, such as sports betting, WNBA media rights and player health and safety.

“I think we’re at a critical moment for women’s sports,” Rawlinson said. “I think we’re at a crucible moment for the team itself. I think the fans in Chicago are ready to engage even more with the Sky than they have before. 

“We are a sports town, and whether you’re man or woman, people love competitiveness and great athleticism. The Sky has been able to demonstrate that, and that’s when we say ‘how can we take this to the next level?’”