Executive Assistant

Description

THE IRONMAN GROUP OVERVIEW

The IRONMAN Group began in 1978 as a single race in Hawaii and now comprises a global platform of 235 events across triathlon, running and cycling, spanning 55 countries and six continents. The company is the world’s largest operator of mass participation sports events, offering a vast portfolio that includes the iconic IRONMAN Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series, the recently launched trail running series, UTMB World Series and premier mountain bike cycling series, the Epic Series. In each of its events across triathlon, road running, mountain biking, and trail running, The IRONMAN Group uniquely supports its participants from the moment they embark on their journey through race day. Much more than an event organizer, The IRONMAN Group is a lifestyle platform that fosters community and is passionate about fulfilling its mission to provide exceptional, life-changing experiences for athletes of all levels. While U.S.-based, the business is global with the majority of revenues and nearly three quarters of races outside of North America.

IRONMAN, the company’s flagship, is one of the world’s great lifestyle brands, with high unaided brand recognition globally. IRONMAN’s brand affinity is so high that its customers regularly tattoo the iconic “M-Dot” logo on their bodies. Due to this strong emotional connection with athletes and fans worldwide, IRONMAN is a premier sponsorship partner for global brands like Hoka, Qatar Airways, Athletic Brewing, Breitling and Vinfast, offering a platform for these brands to intimately engage with desirable communities, utilizing global media platforms and state-of-the-art event activations. To broaden the reach of its existing race content, IRONMAN has developed its own in-house content creation group and partnered with YouTube, Facebook Watch, Outside TV and DAZN to provide fans with livestream access to watch their favorite triathletes compete. In 2023, livestreamed IRONMAN events averaged 550k engaged viewers with more than 125,000 hours watched per event. On the heels of such success, IRONMAN is growing its innovative livestreaming and athlete data/training platforms in triathlon, as well as the fast-growing area of trail running. The company also serves as an attractive partner for local communities around the world as they seek to develop tourist destinations and attract The IRONMAN Group’s athletes and fans as visitors. In the past decade alone, The IRONMAN Group has generated well over $1 billion of economic impact for its host community partners. 

Serving customers before and after race day is an area of strong focus, as the company provides a broad community for its devotees. Athletes, coaches and supporters can choose from a diverse range of digital products including training regimens, support modules and tracking apps. In addition, athletes can find clubs, community training groups and philanthropic endeavors to encourage and celebrate participation. Iconic destinations, scenic routes, safe courses and best-in-class operations have solidified The IRONMAN Group as the premier leader in endurance sports amongst its vast network of athletes and fans alike. The company is also proudly committed to its status as a long-term stakeholder in its event communities and has, in addition to direct economic impact, invested over $500 million in community projects through its non-profit affiliate, The IRONMAN Foundation. 

The revenue model is primarily driven by participants registration fees, series sponsorships, host cities funding, merchandising and product licensing. The IRONMAN Group is a privately held company headquartered in Tampa, Florida and jointly owned by Advance (majority owner), Orkila Capital and management. Advance (www.advance.com) is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Orkila Capital (www.orkilacapital.com) is a growth equity investment firm that pursues proprietary growth equity investment opportunities in the media, entertainment and consumer sectors. 

For more information on IRONMAN, please visit https://www.ironman.com

Key IRONMAN GROUP FACTS

• Number of Employees: ~550 
• 230 global events across 6 continents
• Pioneer in participation sports, leader in inclusive sports and creator of the world championship of long-course triathlon (with the exclusive, global right to govern the sport of long-course triathlon)
• 600k annual participants
• The UTMB World Series is the world’s largest trail running platform
• The IRONMAN and Rock ‘N’ Roll Running Series have raised over $500 million for charity partners
• The Absa Cape Epic mountain bike stage race is the most televised mountain biking race in the world

The Role Overview:

We are seeking a highly skilled and proactive Executive Assistant to support the CEO in a dynamic, fast-paced global environment. This role requires exceptional organizational abilities, attention to detail, and outstanding communication skills. The Executive Assistant (EA) will play a critical role in enabling the CEO and CBO to operate efficiently and effectively across time zones and geographies.

This position demands a high level of adaptability, cultural awareness, and the ability to anticipate needs in a rapidly changing environment. The EA must be comfortable working behind the scenes, maintaining a discreet presence while ensuring everything runs seamlessly.

Key Responsibilities:

Calendar Management:

• Maintain and optimize a dynamic calendar across multiple time zones, ensuring alignment with priorities and strategic goals. 
• Serve as a gatekeeper for incoming requests, balancing CEO’s accessibility with the leader’s need to prioritize and focus on high impact activities.
• Proactively identify scheduling conflicts and propose solutions to maximize executive productivity.

Complex Global Travel Support:

• Coordinate and manage intricate international and domestic travel itineraries for the CEO and an additional senior leader, including flights, accommodations, visas, and ground logistics. 
• During periods of travel, ensure the CEO and relevant leaders are where they need to be, with all logistics seamlessly managed. 
• Be available to travel globally as needed to provide on-site support and coordination. 
• Act as a trusted advisor during travel, anticipating needs and resolving issues in real time.

Executive Communications & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Serve as a key point of contact with internal and external stakeholders, building strong relationships through clear and thoughtful communication. 
• Work with appropriate teams to ensure briefing materials and talking points for key meetings and events are prepared and available in advance.
• Draft and manage high-level correspondence on behalf of the CEO, demonstrating professionalism and discretion. 

Leadership Team Planning & Engagement:

• Lead the planning and execution of executive leadership offsites, including agenda development, logistics coordination, vendor management, budget compliance, and post-event follow-up. 
• Coordinate executive participation at high-profile race events, ensuring seamless logistics and exceptional experience. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with organizational priorities during events.
• From time to time, support the wider Executive team on specific priorities and projects.

Team Leadership:

• Manage and mentor one direct report, ensuring high performance and alignment with organizational goals. 
• Foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement within the team.

Attention to Detail & Discretion:

• Monitor and track executive-related budgets to ensure that expenses are within budget guidelines while identifying potential efficiency opportunities.
• Handle sensitive information with the highest level of confidentiality and accuracy. Anticipate needs and proactively solve problems before they arise. 
• Demonstrate sound judgment in prioritizing competing demands and managing confidential matters.

Requirements

Experience & Qualifications:

• Proven experience supporting C-level executives, preferably in a global organization.
• Exceptional organizational, time management, gatekeeping, and multitasking skills.
• Ability to manage complex travel and scheduling logistics with precision.
• Demonstrated experience communicating on behalf of the CEO
• Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally when required.
• Experience managing direct reports and working cross-functionally.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a discreet presence and operate effectively behind the scenes.
• High level of cultural awareness and adaptability to work across diverse geographies and time zones.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and collaboration tools (e.g., Teams, Outlook); experience with expense management systems is a plus.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to anticipate needs in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience coordinating high-profile events or executive participation at global functions (e.g., races, conferences).

The above declarations are not intended to be an “all inclusive” list of duties and responsibilities of the job described, nor are they intended to be such a listing of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Rather, they are intended only to describe the general nature of the job and are a reasonable representation of its activities.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.