Delta Sigma Pi Presents Sports Industry Panel
By Cara Daltwas ’25
The Providence College School of Business chapter of Delta Sigma Pi, the professional business fraternity, hosted Rick Cordella ’99, president of NBC Sports, and Sarah McKenna ’96, chief experience officer at the Boston Red Sox, for an insightful discussion. Members of Delta Sigma Pi and other business students listened to the stories of Cordella and McKenna’s time at Providence College, their job experiences, and insightful tips they had to share.
Moderator Sean Holley ’94, an adjunct professor, posed many meaningful questions that kept the conversation interesting and allowed for students to have a deeper understanding of the path both speakers took to reach these positions in their careers. At the end of the panel, students had the opportunity to ask Cordella and McKenna questions to hear more about the two alumni’s successful careers.
Cordella spoke about his most memorable experiences from his time at Providence College, from playing on the men’s basketball team when they made it to the Elite Eight in 1997 to working on the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He gave valuable insight on the importance of working as a team to get to the finish line. He expressed the importance of pushing past your comfort zone and always striving to be your best self.
“It’s so easy to sit there and do 9-5 every day and hope that someone notices you. It’s another thing to really understand your crowd, understand whatever your job is, be an expert at that and how to do it better then raise that to your boss and get noticed for it,” Cordella said.
Cordella highlighted his time at the college and how his experience here shaped him for an extremely successful career. He learned time management skills from being a student-athlete and the importance of treating people with kindness. It’s important to treat others well and form relationships with employees while still working hard and being motivated to be the best version of yourself. He said he believes that life is all about balance, and if you’re not happy in your career then it’ll never work out. You should chase your dreams and every opportunity along the way, said Cordella, who majored in management and minored in computer science.
McKenna discussed her experience thus far as a woman in the sports industry and explained that through determination and doing what you love, you can make a great career for yourself. Women are not well represented in the sports industry, which makes Mckenna an inspiration for young women to do what they love no matter what others are doing.
Mckenna was passionate speaking about diversity, equity and inclusion matters and spoke on how she makes sure everyone is safe and feels included when they come to Fenway for a Red Sox Game. She discussed how her staff has taken a stance on the matter. They have a public service announcement at the start of every game to encourage fans in the ballpark to speak up if they see something that feels wrong. They are constantly trying to improve. “The face is changing of Boston, the face is changing of New England and by the way, that’s a great thing,” said McKenna, who was a health policy and management major.
Fenway Park is hosting different heritage nights, having DJs play to attract all audiences, and their ticket sales are showing success with more people from all demographics coming to watch the Red Sox play. McKenna thinks very carefully about all the little details that take place at Fenway Park that make the experience one that fans rave about and come back for. Both Cordella and McKenna have had impressive careers and are continuing to make big strides in the sports and entertainment industries. They are both prime examples that through determination, using your skill set to your full ability, and doing what you love while caring for others, you can accomplish anything in the industry of your choice.
Here is the link to watch this event on YouTube: https://youtu.be/b6xINhR87D4?si=e4dzuGqxDvy5JPrm
