Panelists

Tim Romani

President & CEO, ICON Venue Group, LLC

In over 20 years experience with both public and private sector clients, Tim Romani has personally managed the development of several of the most successful sports venue projects in the country. He has been involved in the design, construction, commissioning and operation of projects for NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS franchises totaling more than $3 billion.

Mr. Romani is currently overseeing his staff for stadium, arena, and development projects in Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Ontario, Denver, and Newark. In addition to his sports venue experience, he completed the $308 million Colorado Convention Center Expansion project and served as Vice Chancellor of Planning and Development for the new Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado, an approximate 4 million square foot, $2 billion project.

As Executive Director of the Metropolitan Football Stadium District, Mr. Romani completed the INVESCO Field at Mile High project in Denver, Colorado in 2001. He had overall responsibility for the planning, implementation, and construction of the stadium, which was complete ahead of schedule and $4.5 million under budget. From 1995 to 1999, he was President of the Ascent Arena Company and General Manager of Pepsi Center where he was responsible for all aspects of the venue's financing, construction, and operations.

From 1988 to 1995, Mr. Romani was Executive Director of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. In that capacity, he managed the $250 million Comiskey Park development (now known as US Cellular Field).

Prior to entering the sports facility industry, Mr. Romani was a Project Manager for the Illinois Capital Development Board, where he simultaneously supervised the design and construction of 15 public projects totaling more than $95 million. He also served as a Special Assistant to Governor James R. Thompson of Illinois and was directly responsible for all gubernatorial communication, scheduling, and governmental affairs.

Tim Romani received his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in 1984, and earned his masters degree in finance and strategic planning from California State University in 1987.

David Baxter

President, Adidas Sports Licensed Division

As president of the adidas Group’s Sports Licensed Division (formerly OnField), David Baxter is responsible for overseeing all of Reebok’s sports licensed products and partnerships with the National Football League and National Hockey League, and adidas’ partnerships with the National Basketball Association, Women’s National Basketball Association and National Basketball Development League. Under David’s leadership, SLD leverages these League partnerships to significantly enhance both brands and increase their visibility, one of the company’s strategic priorities. He reports to both the President of Reebok and CEO of adidas.

David joined Reebok in March 2001 as senior vice president and chief operating officer of OnField. Promoted to president of OnField in October 2002, David assumed additional responsibility for leading the development and implementation of strategies to achieve brand and financial objectives for Reebok’s Sports Licensed Division. With the merger of Reebok’s two apparel groups, OnField and Reebok Apparel, in October 2003, David was named to the position of president of Reebok Apparel. Following the acquisition of Reebok by adidas, David was promoted to his current position in February 2006.

David has extensive sporting goods and apparel industry experience. Prior to joining Reebok, he served as president of Logo Athletic. He joined Logo Athletic in 1998 as senior vice president of Sales and Marketing, after serving as director of apparel sales for national accounts for adidas America from 1995-1998.

David began his career in 1982 as a clerk and store manager for Hibbett Sporting Goods. He went on to gain considerable industry experience as buyer for Sports a Foot (1990 – 1992) and then as buyer and divisional merchandise manager of apparel for Sports and Recreation (1992 – 1995), both of Florida.

David has twice been selected to Sports Business Journal’s annual “Forty under 40” list, which recognizes the most influential executives in the sports industry under the age of 40. A four-year track athlete in college, David enjoys all sports and fitness. A native of Chicago, he currently resides in Boston.

Steve Pagliuca

Managing Partner, Boston Celtics

Stephen Pagliuca is a Managing Partner and Executive Committee Member of the Boston Celtics. As a Managing Partner and Chairman of the Basketball Committee, Pagliuca has focused on enhancing the development and improvement of the Celtics basketball operations. Mr. Pagliuca also serves as a member of the NBA Board of Governors and the NBA Competition Committee.

Pagliuca currently is a Managing Director of Bain Capital. He has helped build Bain Capital into a leading global private equity firm with over $40 billion capital under management.

Pagliuca received a B.A. from Duke University where he also played freshman basketball, and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.

He is currently the Chairman of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Chairman of the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, and serves on the international board of The Right To Play, a worldwide children's development group that utilizes Olympic athletes to promote children's health and safety.

He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Gartner Group, Burger King, and ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG. He serves as Chairman on the Board of Trinity Advisors at Duke University and is also a trustee of Bain Capital Children's Charity.

Pagliuca has been active in youth basketball from kindergarten to the AAU level. He and his wife, Judy, with their four children are longtime Massachusetts residents.

Moderator

Mike Gorman

Play-by-Play Announcer, Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics fans have been blessed with a fabulous tradition on the court and that excellence has continued in the broadcasting booth where Mike Gorman has served as play-by-play announcer since 1981.

The five-time Emmy Award winning Gorman, a native of Dorchester, MA, was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004. Gorman currently holds the longest tenure as play-by-play voice for a Boston professional sports franchise and, along with his telecast partner Tommy Heinsohn, makes up TV’s longest running telecast duo.

Following a stint as an aviator in the U.S. Navy, Gorman began his broadcasting career at WNBH in New Bedford and WPRO radio in Providence.

Gorman grew up in Dorchester and attended Saint Brendan’s Elementary School, Boston Latin, and Boston State.