Jimmy Haslam — CEO and Chairman, Haslam Sports Group
Dee and Jimmy Haslam have established three primary focus areas to shape Haslam Sports Group (HSG)’s culture for teams, guiding all key processes and decisions within the organization. The club’s standard is centered on providing a consistently winning team on the field and court, taking exceptional care of the teams’ fans by providing a premier experience throughout the year and striving to make a positive impact in the Northeast Ohio community with an emphasis on education, youth football and equitable opportunity. To best position their teams for success, the Haslams have also consistently invested in the organizations and their facilities to provide the best resources available while working diligently and responsibly with civic leadership on those major developments.
Dee and Jimmy serve as the CEO and Chairman of the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), which they formed after the family acquired the Columbus Crew in 2019. In 2023, HSG secured a controlling interest in the Milwaukee Bucks, as the NBA Board of Governors approved an HSG ownership share purchase, giving the family-run business, ownership stakes in three of the five major North American professional sports leagues. The Bucks investment also includes control and operation of Fiserv Forum; the Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center; the team’s training center; the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks G League affiliate; and Bucks Gaming, the team’s 2K League affiliate
With the launch of HSG, the family expanded their sports interests and investments when they reached an agreement with Major League Soccer to operate the Columbus Crew. The Club captured the 2023 MLS Cup, after winning the 2020 Cup in only their second year as investor-operators, and later added a Leagues Cup 2024 trophy in the tournament’s second year.
A new standard was also set in Columbus with the transformative efforts to create ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, the new downtown stadium that officially opened in July 2021. With the world-class facility and focus on exceptional fan engagement, the Crew sold out 47 of 50 regular season home matches from 2023-2025, including a stretch of 34 consecutive that had previously not extended beyond four games throughout the franchise’s history.
The dynamic, modern and inspiring stadium is an accessible and inclusive community asset for the City of Columbus and serves as an anchor to the adjacent Astor Park, a mixed-use development neighborhood. Additionally, in June 2021, the Crew opened the OhioHealth Performance Center, a new best-in-class 42,000 square-foot MLS training facility for all soccer operations, including First Team and Crew Academy. The facility over the past two years has seen additional advancements with the creation of two full field turf pitches and a multimillion dollar project that transformed former office space into first-class accommodations specific for the Crew Academy, including a new gym, coaching and support staff working spaces and dedicated classrooms.
Dee and Jimmy worked passionately to bring the MLS All-Star game to Columbus with the signature event to be held at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in 2024. In 2026 with his support, the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games announced the global event’s first official competition would come to Ohio as Columbus was selected as one of seven cities to host matches for the LA28 Olympic Football (Soccer) Tournaments.
As part of their commitment to the league and key initiatives, Dee serves on the MLS Board of Governors and the MLS Diversity Committee.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The Haslam Family is committed to helping children and families reach their full potential by removing barriers and providing equal access to quality education and community resources. They are committed to working in these areas to create measurable, sustainable and meaningful positive change.
The Haslams are deeply immersed in supporting programs for youth that improve chances for success academically and motivate children to go to school. They have also focused on renovating football and soccer fields throughout Northeast Ohio, Columbus and Knoxville. These community assets are not only used for sports but for recreational programs that keep children and families active, engaged and inspired.
The Haslams have refurbished many Cleveland public schools’ athletic fields and installed 17 high-quality synthetic turf fields across Northeast Ohio. The efforts have also been focused in Knoxville, providing funding to transform 13 fields at area high schools. As part of the Crew’s year-round efforts to grow participation in the game of soccer, as well as impact youth education, the Club’s mini-pitch initiative encompasses six locations. Along with the creation of these mini-pitches, the Crew have worked with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to provide Soccer for Success programming at local mini-pitches.
“We are committed to creating opportunities for our youth so that they can reach their full potential, and getting to school every day and staying engaged sets the foundation for their success and the future of our state,” said Dee Haslam. “Through the Stay in the Game! Network and our installation of youth soccer and football fields in Ohio and Tennessee, we want to help provide students and districts access to the resources they need so they can excel in the classroom and beyond.”
Launched in 2019 to increase attendance in the state, the Stay in the Game! Network – a partnership between the Cleveland Browns Foundation, Columbus Crew, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and Harvard University’s Proving Ground – formed collaborations with districts and schools to provide resources created by industry experts to address chronic absenteeism. The Stay in the Game! Attendance Network, managed by Batelle, now services more than 220 partner school districts and 600,000 students in Ohio through their collective effort to positively impact attendance and engaging students.
Following the 2024 MLS All-Star Game in Columbus, the Crew and HSG in 2025 launched the “Soccer in Schools” program, focused on providing a turnkey youth soccer model for physical education teachers that aims to prioritize soccer as an in-school physical activity. In addition to providing curriculum for teachers and equipment, the implementation model aligns with curriculum standards and teaches the fundamentals of soccer while integrating activities that empower students to establish life-long healthy habits and create a strong alignment with Stay in the Game! Attendance Network
Dee and Jimmy also launched the Haslam Sports Group Diversity and Opportunity Fellowship in 2021. Designed to improve the pipeline of diverse future sports industry leaders, the year-long sports business fellowship provides a unique, immersive opportunity to recent college graduates at the Columbus Crew and Cleveland Browns.
The Haslams have received several honors for their work in promoting diversity and inclusion. Jimmy was honored by the Cleveland branch of the NAACP at its 105th Anniversary Celebration Freedom Fund Dinner, and the Haslams received their first award as members of the NFL in 2014 when they were recognized by the Fritz Pollard Alliance with the Paul ‘Tank” Younger Award for promoting diversity within NFL front offices.
Dee and Jimmy have led the Browns’ efforts and impact in the social justice space. The Browns have hosted three social justice summits; two that brought together the Cleveland Police Department with Cleveland Metropolitan School District high school students to create a forum for open and honest dialogue about social injustice and another that brought community and civic leaders to the Browns facility to engage players and the entire organization. Since 2022, the Browns, through their social justice efforts, have also supported minority and black-owned businesses through a partnership with Jumpstart, a Northeast Ohio-based, nationally recognized venture development organization providing capital, services and connection to help entrepreneurs grow and corporations innovate.
The Haslam family consistently focuses on giving back to further engage children and excite them in ways that impact their likelihood to attend school. Aligned with that mission, the Haslam 3 Foundation donated $4.5 million to education-based programs that give school-aged children more access to three arts organizations in Cleveland: Playhouse Square, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Orchestra.
The Haslams also worked strategically and passionately to bring the 2021 NFL Draft to Cleveland, knowing the impact it could have on the community to host such a signature event. Dee and Jimmy Haslam were presented with the Maltz Heritage Award that recognized their transformational leadership, civic engagement and philanthropic contributions in Northeast Ohio.
The Haslams have always been committed to the Knoxville community and are dedicated to continuing to positively impact the region. In 2020, The Haslam family donated $35 million to Knoxville's Lakeshore Park to improve baseball fields, soccer fields and other amenities outlined in the park's master plan. “Green open spaces are vital for our children and adults alike, and conservation of spaces like Lakeshore are necessary to preserve the beauty and natural resources of this area,” Dee conveyed. Dee and Jimmy helped co-found the Haslam Scholars Program in 2008. The program offers unique in-depth academic enrichment for top students at the University of Tennessee. In December of 2019, the Haslams helped open the doors to the Haslam-Sansom Ministry Complex in the Lonsdale community of Knoxville, Tenn. The $8 million privatively funded project by the Haslam and Sansom families consists of 30,000 square feet and includes two fields, which can be used for soccer or football, a gymnasium with two full-sized basketball courts, a chapel, a community room and a medical clinic. It was built for the Emerald Youth Foundation and the complex will serve the more than 1,400 young people within Emerald, as well as help hundreds of families in the underserved Lonsdale neighborhood.
STARTING OUT
A native of Knoxville, Jimmy began his career at Pilot Corporation in 1976. In 1980, he was named vice president of sales, development and operations. He grew Pilot to be the largest travel center company in the US from 96 travel centers in 1996 to over 800 fueling locations in 2023, selling ~14 billion gallons of fuel a year and ~$3 billion in food and merchandise. Jimmy Haslam became CEO in 1996 and later, chairman of the board for Pilot Company from 2020-2023. Jimmy led the company through a series of transformational milestones that strengthened its capabilities and Pilot became the fifth-largest private company in the US with $3.2 billion EBITDA in 2022 (17% CAGR). These milestones included the merger of Pilot with Flying J, as well as transactions with Marathon Ashland Petroleum, Williams, Speedway, Mr. Fuel and Speedway-Wilco that grew the Company’s network and established Pilot Flying J as an industry leader. In January 2024, Pilot Corporation sold to Berkshire Hathaway.
Jimmy’s civic involvement includes service on the board of directors of Anderson Media Corporation, the American Federation for Children (AFC) and the PREP Public Schools Board. Having served on many community boards, Jimmy now focuses on School Choice and quality education choices, as well as his passion to the Haslam College of Business and Haslam Scholars at the University of Tennessee. To help further advance the NFL, Jimmy is a member of the league's business ventures, media, and Hall of Fame committees and he chairs the investment committee.
Dee, an Emmy-nominated TV producer, was the executive producer and CEO of RIVR Media Companies. Since launching RIVR Media in 1999, Dee has been the executive producer for groundbreaking series such as “Trading Spaces,” “Whale Wars,” “World Series of Poker,” “Renovation Realities,” “Fat Guys in the Woods,” and “Escaping Polygamy.” Recently, RIVR was named a Realscreen’s Global 100 TV production company. In June of 2012, Dee started Nest Features, an independent film company that produces films in and about the American South. Prior to RIVR’s launch, she worked in various production roles with Bagwell Communications and Cinetel Productions. Dee transitioned from her role as CEO at RIVR Media in early 2018 to devote more of her time to Cleveland but remains a partner and executive producer.
Dee’s professional association memberships include: Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; In Counsel with Women; Women in Cable Telecommunications; International Women’s Forum; C200; and the Society of International Business Fellows.
Dee is also committed to the betterment of the Columbus, Northeast Ohio and Knoxville communities through her active involvement as a member of the board of directors of the Greater Columbus Partnership; Greater Cleveland Partnership; the United Way of Greater Cleveland (Executive Council); University Hospitals Systems; the Cleveland Orchestra; and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She also serves on the boards of the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business; the Emerald Youth Foundation; State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) in Tennessee; and is the acting chair of Lakeshore Park. Dee also serves on the NFL social justice working group, legislative and conduct committees.
In May of 2017, Dee was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to ExcelinEd’s Board of Directors, which is a foundation that has become a national leader in the education reform movement. She was also awarded an honorary doctorate after delivering the commencement speech at Baldwin Wallace University.
The Haslams have three adult children and six grandchildren.