Brilliant People Podcast Jeff Price: PGA of America Chief Commercial Officer on Reinventing Legacy Brands and Driving Growth in Sport
What does it take to modernize a legacy sport, inspire global fans, and build commercial engines that stand the test of time?
In this episode, Linnea Jungnelius sits down with Jeff Price, Chief Commercial & Philanthropy Officer at the PGA of America, and one of the most influential architects behind golf’s modern growth story.
From transforming brand partnerships at Gatorade and MasterCard to reshaping how millions experience the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup, Jeff has built a career at the intersection of sport, business, and innovation.
His lessons apply far beyond the fairway: they’re about building trust, culture, and commercial momentum in any business facing disruption.
What You’ll Learn:
• How to turn sponsorships into lasting, growth-driving partnerships
• The leadership shift from instructing teams to empowering them
• Why understanding your “dual-habit” consumers drives sustainable engagement
• How to extend experiences beyond the venue and into culture
• Why focus and the smart use of AI defines the next wave of sports innovation
Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
00:26 Guest Introduction: Jeff Price
1:09 Early Career & Lessons from Rejection
02:45 Career Journey: NBA, Gatorade, MasterCard
06:31 Startup Experience & Learning from Failure
08:43 Leadership Evolution: Empowerment vs. Instruction
10:16 Decision-Making & Strategic Frameworks
11:37 Joining PGA of America: Strategic Gaps & First Moves
13:15 Partnership Economics & PGA’s Commercial Strategy
17:10 Ryder Cup: Brand Unification & Global Growth
20:36 Commercial Innovation: Events, Experiences, and Media
22:51 Media Strategy: ESPN+ Streaming Deal
25:42 The Future: AI, Data, and Personalization in Golf
30:05 Building High-Performing Teams: The “We” Mentality
32:51 Commercial Leadership: Data, Social Media, and Revenue
34:01 Advice for CEOs & Commercial Teams
35:00 Personal Routines & Sustaining Performance
36:41 Sources of Inspiration & Industry Trends
38:01 Trends in Sports Business & Media
49:00 Lightning Round: Personal Reflections
Resources:
Jeff Price:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-price-24481318/
Linnea Jungnelius:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linneajungnelius
X: https://x.com/itslinnea
Explore the Podcast:
Spotify: https://acertitu.de/jeff-price-spotify-podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://acertitu.de/jeff-price-apple-podcast
Blog: https://acertitu.de/jeff-price-blog
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