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From “ball girl to CMO,” Melissa Proctor shares stories from her trailblazing career journey, providing powerful strategies to help audiences navigate high-stakes decisions and achieve success.
Though Melissa Proctor never played basketball herself, it was her passion—in fact, her childhood dream was to be the first female coach in the NBA. She went on to forge an unconventional path that began with her job as the first “ball girl” for the NBA’s Miami Heat and led to her position as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena.
Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the club’s marketing, live experience and production, brand merchandising, entertainment industry relations, community impact, and much more, Melissa is a brand leader recognized for her creativity, work ethic, and empathy.
She started her career with the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., serving in senior brand development and strategy leadership positions for Turner Entertainment Networks, Cartoon Network, and Turner Media Group. She helped to create the first Corporate Social Responsibility Division in Turner’s UK office, was responsible for managing the rebranding of Court TV as truTV, and led corporate culture initiatives to foster employee engagement, collaboration, and innovation.
Melissa has been recognized with Adweek’s 2021 CMO Award, Atlanta Magazine’s 2018 list of Women Making a Mark, Sports Business Journal’s 2020 class of Forty Under 40, among many accolades. She currently serves on the boards of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta; WABE, Atlanta’s NPR Station; and the High Museum of Art, in addition to being a 2023 graduate of Leadership Atlanta. She is also the author of the bestseller, From Ball Girl to CMO.
In her relatable, down-to-earth style, Melissa shares lessons and stories of hope, persistence, empowerment, and courage, providing a powerful framework for defining “Guiding Principles” to help audiences navigate high-stakes decisions, both personal and professional.
Even though Melissa Proctor never played basketball, her dream as a child was to be the first female coach in the NBA. Through incredible experiences like surviving Hurricane Andrew, moving to London, and becoming the first "ball girl" for the NBA's Miami Heat, her unconventional path has taken a number of twists and turns and led to earning the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. However, audiences will be surprised to learn that even at this stage of her career, Melissa still doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up...and that's exactly how she wants it.
In this talk, Melissa discusses the relevant themes of hope, persistence, empowerment, and courage to help audiences navigate everything from personal to professional. She shares lessons learned, guiding principles, and a means of comfort for those not quite sure what to do next. With her laid-back style and down-to-earth attitude, she presents a powerful framework for defining "Guiding Principles" that anyone can use to help direct life decisions. She urges us to look at ourselves, reflect on where we've been, and be open to the possibilities of what's to come.
In this talk, award-winning brand marketer Melissa Proctor shares her experiences in building world class brands in both entertainment and sports. Helping audiences understand the key elements of brand building, relevance and the importance of the F word… FOCUS. Through sharing real-life examples and tactics for success, Melissa offers a unique framework for marketers to view brand strategy through a new lens. Whether you’re building a brand from scratch or thinking of ways to elevate your current brand, this talk is sure to educate and inspire as Melissa shares the steps to building a WINNING and authentic brand.
From Ball Girl to CMO
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