Speaker

Pete Bevacqua

Chairman, NBC Sports Group

Pete Bevacqua is Chairman, NBC Sports Group. He was promoted in September 2020, becoming the third Chairman in the history of NBC Sports. In this role, he oversees NBC Sports’ unprecedented collection of assets and platforms, which includes NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN, Golf Channel, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, NBC Sports Digital, and two transactional sports businesses, GolfNow and SportsEngine.

Together with his team, Bevacqua completed numerous key rights agreements. Most recently, in March 2021, NBCUniversal and the NFL agreed to an 11-year extension and expansion for NBC Sports to continue as the home of Sunday Night Football, primetime television’s No. 1 show for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years. The deal also includes live coverage of every game by Peacock and Telemundo Deportes for the first time. In addition, NBCUniversal re-acquired the complete U.S. media rights for all United States Golf Association championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open, through 2026; agreed to a nine-year extension of the company’s PGA TOUR rights; secured a new Sunday night NFL Wild Card playoff game, which was presented live across NBC, Telemundo, and Peacock in January 2021; and established NBCUniversal’s multi-year partnership with PointsBet, making PointsBet the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports.

Bevacqua joined NBCUniversal in September 2018 as President, NBC Sports Group, overseeing programming, marketing, digital, the NBC Sports Regional Networks, and all Golf businesses. In February 2019, Bevacqua assumed oversight of the entire sports division.

Previously, Bevacqua served as CEO of the PGA of America from 2012-2018. In this role, Bevacqua guided the business and overall strategy of one of the world’s largest sports organizations, serving the Association’s nearly 29,000 PGA Professionals.

Prior to the PGA of America, Bevacqua served as Global Head of Golf at Creative Artists Agency (CAA Sports). He was also Chief Business Officer for the USGA and served as the first Managing Director of the U.S. Open Championship. Bevacqua began his career as a legal associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP in New York City.

Bevacqua graduated from the University of Notre Dame magna cum laude (1993), with a B.A. in English. He earned a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center, where he graduated cum laude (1997). Bevacqua serves on the board of directors for Georgetown Law and Brunswick School (Greenwich, CT). He and his wife, Tiffany, have three children.

Moderator

Larry Gulko

Brand Strategist & Strategic Growth Advisor

Larry is a brand architect and strategist, executive coach, keynote speaker, and growth advisor with a track record for positioning an eclectic range of brands to compete more effectively in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.

He founded and moderates the annual CEO Brand Leadership Roundtable at the Harvard Business School Association Boston. These popular programs have showcased over 50 CEOs of iconic and leading brands including Dunkin’ Brands, Ritz-Carlton, NBC Sports, Harley-Davidson, PGA of America, Converse, Newman’s Own, Zumba, Joseph Abboud, Birkenstock, Wheels Up, Keurig, Talbots, Polar Beverages, Wayfair, Foxwoods, Life Time Fitness, Zipcar, TaylorMade Golf.

Larry created BRAND: NEW DAY, a one-of-a-kind brand-building and thought leadership Retreat designed exclusively for an individual company looking to take a fresh look at their brand and determined to take it to the next level – drive brand leadership and business growth. This company-focused program was originally created in tandem with the Disney Institute. Under the BRAND: NEW DAY umbrella is the immersive C-Level thought leadership Roundtable emulating an open-enrollment idea exchange with peers. Both programs are delivered virtually and in-person.

He is the co-host of Name Brands, CBS Boston. This insightful and entertaining brand leadership podcast show features in-studio conversations with iconic brands and CEOs who share their insight to create and build best-selling brands, dominate product categories, enhance consumer affection/loyalty, and drive brand performance.

For 20 years, his advertising and brand consultancy agency Gulko & Company strategically positioned and launched brands for the Fortune 1000, middle-market companies, entrepreneurial ventures, and non-profit organizations.

A sought-after thought leader, Larry has delivered numerous keynotes, commencement addresses, is a MassChallenge business mentor and has lectured at the Babson College Graduate School of Business and Executive Education Program.

Larry is an advisor to the C-level community and has served on boards and councils including ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership, The American Marketing Association, Gifting Brands, The George Washington University, Babson Advisory Council, Jordan Alliance Group.