WISE Women of the Year

2020 WISE Women of Year Announced

2020 WISE Women of Year Honorees - listed from the left: Susan Cohig, Rosalyn Durant, Elizabeth Lindsey, JoAnn Neale

The 2020 WISE Women of the Year honorees are Susan Cohig of the NHL, Rosalyn Durant of Walt Disney World Resort, Elizabeth Lindsey of Wasserman and JoAnn Neale of MLS.

"Susan, Rosalyn, Elizabeth and JoAnn are outstanding examples of how leaders in our industry can succeed while paving the way for other women," said Kathleen Francis, WISE national board chair and president. "Each of these women has excelled in their positions and have actively created opportunities for women in the business of sports. We look forward to celebrating them."

Awarded the distinction in a vote by WISE members nationwide, the honorees will be recognized for their accomplishments, contributions and support of their female peers at the 26th Awards Luncheon on March 9, 2022 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City.

Susan Cohig

Executive Vice President, Club Business Affairs | National Hockey League

Susan Cohig works across all business areas of the NHL to support club and league business and policy priorities. She plays a central role in engaging with team leadership and managing associated business support, including the sharing and implementation of best practices. Cohig is responsible for producing and managing the annual NHL Club Business Meetings, where league and team executives analyze business issues and opportunities. She is also instrumental in the onboarding of NHL expansion franchises and spearheads efforts associated with the NHL's women's hockey initiative, using the league's assets to elevate and support the women's game.

Prior to joining the NHL in 1996, Cohig was with Ascent Entertainment, overseeing the sales and servicing of corporate partner relationships of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche and the NBA's Denver Nuggets. Cohig was named a 2019 Notable Women in the Business of Sports honoree by Crain's New York Business, a 2017 WISE NYC Metro Women of Inspiration honoree, and a 2013 Sports Business Journal Game Changer, among other honors.

Rosalyn Durant

Senior Vice President, Operations | Walt Disney World Resort

Rosalyn Durant oversees the Disney Springs shopping, dining and entertainment destination; both Walt Disney World water parks; the resort's sports operations, including ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex; and the workforce management, supply chain transformation, operations training and business transformation teams. She took on the role in March 2020 and played a key part in working with the National Basketball Association to successfully restart its 2019-20 season and hold the NBA playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Durant was previously senior vice president of college networks at ESPN, where she set the strategic direction for ESPNU, SEC Network, Longhorn Network and ACC Network. Her numerous honors include making Sports Business Journal's 2019 Power Player list and Savoy magazine's 2020 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America. She is also a member of The Walt Disney Company's CEO Diversity and Inclusion Council and sits on the executive committee for the board of directors of the T. Howard Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing diversity in the multimedia and entertainment industry.

Elizabeth Lindsey

President, Brands and Properties | Wasserman

Elizabeth Lindsey oversees Wasserman's brands and properties business, leading a team of more than 600 professionals globally. Instrumental in the direction of Wasserman's corporate strategy, Lindsey, who joined Wasserman in 2007, helps guide the agency's decision-making around acquisition and international expansion, among other initiatives, and serves as a senior adviser to the chairman and chief executive officer. She is also the senior leader overseeing The Collective, Wasserman's platform for raising the profile of and opportunities for women in sports, a passion area of Lindsey's since launching a women's networking group a decade ago.

Previous roles include managing partner of Wasserman's brands and properties division and senior vice president of OnSport, which was acquired by Wasserman in 2007. She also managed sports and entertainment relationships for the telecommunications firm Nortel for 10-plus years. Lindsey was named one of Adweek's Most Powerful Women in Sports in 2018 and a Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 honoree in 2010. She serves on the board of directors for Make-A-Wish of Eastern North Carolina.

JoAnn Neale

President and Chief Administrative Officer | Major League Soccer

JoAnn Neale oversees human resources, social responsibility, player engagement, technology and administration for MLS and leads the league's long-term business planning and annual planning processes. She spearheads the overall strategy of MLS WORKS, the league's social responsibility platform, and created the player engagement department, which delivers programs to support player education and engagement and assist with off-field career development and transition.

Prior to joining MLS, Neale spent four years as an attorney at the law firms of Latham & Watkins and Duval & Stachenfeld, focusing on corporate finance and real estate transactions. Neale, a member of the U.S. Soccer Foundation board of directors, was named a SportsBusiness Journal Game Changer in 2012 and was recognized as one of Adweek's 2019 Most Powerful Women in Sports, Crain's New York Business' 2019 Notable Women in the Business of Sports, and City & State's 2018 Responsible 100 corporate citizens and leaders. She was also honored by the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women for her leadership in providing opportunities through sport to underserved girls.