Director, Sports & Entertainment Strategy and Business Development

Northern Trust Wealth Management is building and scaling a differentiated national Sports & Entertainment franchise platform, unifying existing relationships and capabilities while expanding the external ecosystem. This onsite role in Chicago, IL offers the opportunity to drive strategy, create client pipeline, and originate advisory revenue in partnership with teams nationwide.

Salary range: $205,700 - $360,100 USD. Work authorization: Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor for this opportunity (no sponsorship available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).

What you will do

• Develop and execute the national Sports & Entertainment strategy, including the market position, growth agenda, and implementation roadmap.
• Define the differentiated value proposition, priority client segments, economics, coverage model, and required capabilities to compete effectively.
• Create a multi-year business plan with measurable goals for pipeline, revenue, relationships, market presence, and platform development.
• Produce proprietary insights and client-facing content to establish credibility and differentiate Northern Trust in the marketplace.
• Inventory and map existing Sports & Entertainment relationships, expertise, and capabilities, then organize them into a coordinated national platform.
• Build a national network of Wealth Advisors, Wealth Strategists, and specialists, supported by accreditation or Northern Trust certification.
• Scale internal best practices through common playbooks, coverage standards, referral protocols, and client-service models.
• Clarify roles, governance, and handoffs across national leadership, local advisory teams, product specialists, and partners.
• Implement scalable tools, processes, and technology to improve opportunity identification, relationship coordination, and client delivery.
• Build a differentiated external ecosystem across agents, managers, sports attorneys, college athletics, league stakeholders, entertainment executives, family offices, and sports investors.
• Establish disciplined relationship mapping, pipeline reporting, and scorecards across prospects, clients, centers of influence, and strategic partners.
• Analyze industry trends and money-in-motion signals, including career and liquidity events, ownership activity, and NIL developments, then translate insights into actions for leadership and advisory teams.
• Originate new relationships and advisory revenue via targeted prospecting, referrals, strategic partnerships, and ecosystem development.
• Partner with advisory teams to qualify opportunities, develop pursuit strategies, and convert relationships.
• Apply fluency across advisory, fiduciary, investment, banking, and wealth-planning capabilities to identify needs and orchestrate solutions.
• Support specialized needs such as variable and concentrated earnings, NIL income, tax complexity, liquidity, lending, wealth transfer, investments, philanthropy, risk management, and family governance.
• Represent Northern Trust at relevant industry events, associations, and conferences.
• Connect the franchise to Northern Trust’s broader ultra-high-net-worth strategy and create coordinated coverage across key stakeholders.
• Partner with Global Family Office, regional Wealth Management teams, Family Office Solutions, and other specialists to deliver the full breadth of Northern Trust.
• Set governance, controls, and operating standards, and coordinate with Risk, Compliance, Legal, Finance, and Human Resources to meet applicable requirements.
• Manage reputational, operational, and execution risks while protecting client confidentiality and reinforcing fiduciary standards.
• Lead as the enterprise subject-matter expert for Sports & Entertainment within Wealth Management and advise senior leadership on opportunities, investments, and franchise performance.

What you bring

• Deep understanding of the Sports & Entertainment ecosystem and the distinctive financial circumstances of athletes and entertainers.
• Demonstrated ability to develop market strategy, build a scalable national business, and translate complex opportunities into measurable results.
• Proven business-development, consultative-selling, and relationship-management capabilities with sophisticated clients and professional advisors.
• Working knowledge of investment management, trust and estate planning, banking, credit, financial planning, philanthropy, and family advisory services.
• Strong strategic, analytical, and commercial judgment, with ability to orchestrate multidisciplinary teams and influence senior stakeholders.
• Exceptional executive communication, negotiation, project-management, and prioritization skills.
• High discretion, sound judgment, entrepreneurial mindset, and commitment to client confidentiality, risk management, and fiduciary standards.
• Ten or more years of experience in Sports & Entertainment, wealth management, private banking, family office, business development, strategic partnerships, consulting, or related work.
• Established credibility and relationships in one or more areas of the Sports & Entertainment ecosystem.
• Demonstrated success originating complex ultra-high-net-worth or institutional relationships and scaling a specialized client segment, business, or platform.
• Experience collaborating with advisory, investment, fiduciary, banking, legal, tax, and other specialist teams.
• Relevant FINRA securities licenses may be required; professional designations such as CFP, CFA, CIMA, CPWA, or CFTA are preferred.
• MBA, JD, or other advanced degree preferred; relevant certifications are valued.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Benefits

• Retirement benefits (401k and pension)
• Health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts, and disability)
• Paid time off
• Parental and caregiver leave
• Life & accident insurance
• Discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities.