Bob Reif was Named to Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 List
INDIANAPOLIS
- For the second consecutive year, Bob Reif, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League, was named to Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 list.
The list, in its second year, was designed to represent "the best the industry has to offer, taken from a cross-section of sports and an array of disciplines within those sports." Other notable winners, include Michael Jordan, August Busch III and Dan Snyder, of the Washington Redskins.
Reif, 33, was selected from more than 400 nominations of sports executives under 40 years old and was one of only 15 people to be honored two years in a row.
After graduating from Princeton University in 1989, Reif worked on real estate and other business ventures in St. Croix. After that he became a financial analyst in New York City for Hilton Hotels Corp. But it didn't take Reif long to realize the sports industry was where he belonged.
"I remember thinking that I had to make an investment in myself," Reif told the Sports Business Journal. "I knew I could stay in New York, make a bunch of money and live that whole lifestyle. But I also knew that there would be something missing."
Since moving to the sports industry 10 years ago, he has worked for such heavy-hitters as IMG, Florida Marlins, Miami Dolphins and Florida Panthers. He joined Indianapolis Motor Speedway in December 1999.
"I've had many opportunities in sports business, but the key has always been to go after and look toward the great places to build a reputation," said Reif. "That's why I am where I am now."
Reif and Brian France, senior vice president of NASCAR, were the only two motorsports executives recognized on this year's list. In 1999, in addition to Reif, Tony George, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp., Lesa Kennedy, executive vice president of International Speedway Corp., and George Pyne, vice president of marketing for NASCAR, represented the motorsports industry
Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 List