Max Siegel

Max Siegel

Chief Executive Officer 317-261-0500 Max.Siegel@usatf.org

Nationally renowned sports and entertainment executive Max Siegel became the fourth CEO of USA Track & Field on May 1, 2012. Since that time, he has led USATF to financial growth and programmatic evolution that are unprecedented in the Olympic family, including:

  • A nearly five-fold growth in total assets

  • Expansion of the USATF budget to a record $37M

  • Thirteen new partnership announcements, including seven in 2014 alone

  • Four new contracts with existing partners, including a historic, new contract with Nike

  • An eight-year media rights agreement with NBC

  • Record financial support for athletes, including the launch of a new athlete revenue distribution plan to support members of the USATF National Team and reward their success

  • The establishment of USATF’s online webcasting portal, USATF.tv

  • Programmatic support and budget growth for all USATF constituencies

  • Successful bids for the U.S. to host the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships and 2021 IAAF World Outdoor Championships


Among the new partnerships driving USATF’s growth and new business model are those with The Hershey Company, Chobani, Rosetta Stone, Garden of Life, University of Phoenix, Coach’s Eye, and a landmark deal with Nike that drew the attention of the national and international sports business communities.

Changes to the bottom line have been coupled with new USATF initiatives. Under Siegel’s leadership and direction, USATF’s increased investment in sport science programs and prize money and the athlete revenue distribution plan have been the hallmarks of elite athlete funding and support. As support has increased, so has the performance of USATF athletes: at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, USATF had its most successful showing at a non-boycotted Games since 1932, winning 32 medals.

Elite athletes are not alone in seeing increased support. All constituencies, including youth, masters, long-distance running, officials, and race walk, have new programs or funding levels under Siegel’s leadership.

His achievements at USATF further complement Siegel’s more than 25-year track record of financial growth and competitive success in sports and entertainment.

He previously served as President of Global Operations at Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he sold tens of millions of dollars in sponsorship; and as Senior Vice President at Sony/BMG and as President of Zomba Gospel, Tommy Boy Gospel and Verity Records, where he led one of the most profitable divisions in the Sony BMG system. As a music executive, he increased top-line revenue and reduced expenses to yield unprecedented profit in the gospel industry. He also was part of the executive team overseeing the careers of stars such as Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Usher.

As the owner of Rev Racing since 2010, Siegel has led NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity (D4D) program to bring more multicultural and female talent to the sport, advancing it from a fledging effort into a competitive juggernaut on the racetrack. A history-making team on the developmental K&N Pro Series East circuit, Rev Racing has produced current NASCAR stars Darrell Wallace Jr., who in 2013 became the first African-American in 50 years to win a NASCAR national series race; Kyle Larson, the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year and 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year; and Daniel Suarez, the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion.

Siegel is a former director on the boards of USA Track & Field and the USA Swimming Foundation. Additional Olympic-family experience includes work with USA Gymnastics, USA Skiing, USA Swimming and the Goodwill Games while he was an attorney with Indianapolis-based Baker & Daniels in the 1990s. In addition to representing sports figures such as Hall of Famers Reggie White and Tony Gwynn during their careers, he has created literary, television and film properties, including the 2010 BET Networks series “Changing Lanes”, and the 2011 ESPN documentary, “Wendell Scott: A Race Story.” Siegel also is the author of “Know What Makes Them Tick: How to Successfully Negotiate Almost Any Situation.”

Siegel has appeared on Oprah, NPR’s Tavis Smiley, ABC’s “Good Morning America,” ESPN, and CNBC; in print, he has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the New York Times, Ebony’s Power 100, Crain’s New York Business, Black Enterprise and Billboard Magazine, among many others.

The first African-American to graduate with honors from Notre Dame Law School, Siegel is a native of Indianapolis.

Media coverage
USA Today feature story, June 9, 2016
Indianapolis Business Journal feature story, March 21, 2015
ESPN coverage of USATF-Nike deal, April 18, 2014
3Wire Sports coverage of 2019 World Championships bid, November, 2014