Leading With Strengths Allison Boersma: President and CEO of Riddell and BRG Sports
Sep 16, 2025
Allison Boersma, President and CEO of Riddell and BRG Sports, is a seasoned leader with a focus on innovation in player safety. She discusses Riddell's mission to advance football safety through R&D and the use of 20 years of helmet sensor data to inform design and tackle techniques. Boersma emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive culture, aligning teams, and the strategic investment of $400M in smart helmets. Additionally, she reveals how her finance background enhances her leadership style and her passion for connecting people.
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Winning Spirit Fuels Execution
- A winning, competitive spirit fuels Riddell's innovation and energy.
- Allison uses arranger strengths to convert that energy into practical steps and organizational change.
Invest In Core Opportunities First
- Create a clear strategy to allocate large capital between organic growth and M&A.
- Invest first in scaling your core, high-opportunity product and resolve capacity gaps to enable growth.
Pandemic Revealed Crisis Strengths
- During COVID Riddell had to rework its business model and did extensive scenario planning.
- The crisis revealed a core competency in crisis management and produced lasting operational efficiencies.
