Meet Lindsay LaBennett - Vice President, Impact & Inclusion at Wasserman
Describe your career in 5 words or less:
Matching skill with passion consistently.
You’ve had a unique career journey so far at Wasserman, evolving from a partnership consultancy focused role to one that focuses on the company’s Inclusion efforts. We’d love for you to talk us through that transition, and how you got to where you are today…
That transition was born out of necessity but also being in the right place at the right time. After spending six years on the Brand and Property marketing side of the business, specifically working on brand partnerships and sponsorships within the NFL space, I was exposed to cultural issues that I was drawn to; The Colin Kaepernick protest, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and many examples of injustices that women were facing in sports. That passion to be part of a solution to address those inequities and social justice topics led to working with Mary Spencer (Vice President, People, L&D and Recruitment at Wasserman) and other stakeholders to create our DEI Council, along with an effort to push for more diverse representation within the walls of Wasserman. That included the start of monthly programs, educational moments and campaigns to create a sense of belonging at a company I thoroughly enjoyed working for.
And then 2020 happened – and we were able to take the ground work that we’d been nurturing and create an official role to do this work full time. And given the demand internally, paired with an increased interest from brands/talent we work for (wanting to ensure Wasserman was committed in a real way), we were able to focus on building this effort intentionally vs. organically. One of the beautiful things about Wasserman is that at the core, our culture is entrepreneurial. I was able to present the need to leadership, get their support and create the foundation on what we have today.
From 2020 to today, we’ve continued evolving, scaling our effort across our growing global footprint and extending our effort outside of our internal brand, but adding cultural consultation support for our client teams. And after being here for 15 years, the growth has been respectable, with more spaces to evolve and push ourselves.
You were recently nominated in the DE&I Advocate category at the Campaign US Agency Awards. Congratulations! Could you give us a little insight into some of the work you’ve been doing with regards to Impact & Inclusion at Wasserman, and what you consider to be your proudest achievement in this space?
The work we’ve been doing at Wasserman is centered around building credibility with communities of difference, becoming trusted advisors to our industry on issues and topics that impact marginalized communities and supporting our clients who want to be stewards of change in the world. One of my proudest achievements in this space is remaining action-oriented. I am most proud that Wasserman focuses on actual impact; impact that is measurable and can be felt vs. performative gestures. Whether that is consistently delivering educational resources, evolving our ERG communities or maintaining consistent investments and building meaningful partnerships with equity-focused organizations– I’m most proud that we as a company are walking the walk, and will continue to do so, for the greater good of our business.
You were at Super Bowl LIX in Nola, recently, attending the ‘Toast to Black Sports’ luncheon hosted by Minorities in Sport Network, which coincided with Black History Month in North America. Tell us a little bit about that program, of which Wasserman is a sponsor, and the community that is being created here…
This article does a great job of explaining what the event was and why it’s important for Wasserman to attend and sponsor spaces that encourage career growth and community. Simply put, Wasserman’s Inclusion effort includes strategic partnerships with organizations that create programs and spaces where people of difference can build, support each other’s career aspirations and grow a network of powerful and connected leaders. We’ve been partnering with Minorities in Sports since 2020 and have been able to hire talent from these networks, from interns to mid-level management. We’ve hosted 6 events, celebrated our Wasserman agents and leaders with awards and recognitions and most importantly, built credibility across our industry as an agency that recognizes the importance of showing up authentically.
How do you spend your down time away from work?
I love to cook! I find the process very therapeutic. I love researching recipes, finding new spices to try and exploring new ways to use any and everything in a random person’s refrigerator to make a healthy-ish quality meal. I also really enjoy spending time with my family and friends. They fill my cup! And what I love most, is being able to feed them.
