Media & Brand

Brent Richard

Chief Executive Officer, IMG Academy

Brent Richard’s vision as president of IMG Academy is to transform IMG Academy into the world’s most impactful education brand, with life-changing experiences, available to any student-athlete who believes in the power of sport as a platform for life. He is passionate about the value of holistic education through the lens of sport and improving and growing IMG Academy’s heartbeat boarding school experience, while simultaneously creating new student-athlete experiences online and internationally. Through its suite of connected sports education experiences, all under the powerful IMG Academy brand, all benefiting from IMG Academy’s half-century of expertise, IMG Academy is now helping families and student-athletes all around the world.

Since joining IMG Academy in 2020, Richard has built a world-class on-campus and online team, focused on executing this vision. IMG Academy has developed over recent years from a campus-only brand and experience serving 1,000 boarding school student-athletes, into a global brand with a suite of connected education experiences, ranging from boarding school, to camps, to online coaching and recruiting. Today, IMG Academy, with the help of digital scale, is serving over 150,000 student-athletes and 40,000 coaches each year, and its heartbeat boarding school in Bradenton stronger than ever, adding new sports, facilities and improving outcomes for its families.

In 2023, with a focus on ensuring that IMG Academy would be owned by a group that could bring significant expertise and value to IMG Academy families and student-athletes, Richard hand-selected Nord Anglia and EQT and led the sale of IMG Academy by Endeavor (NYSE: EDR) and subsequent transition and carve-out processes for IMG Academy.

Richard has also overseen the development of the IMG Academy Foundation, including $40M annually that IMG Academy is able to give-back via financial aid, discounted or free online coaching services, and community charity.

Before joining IMG Academy, Richard was the Chief Corporate Development Officer at Endeavor. In his role as Chief Corporate Development Officer, he led Endeavor’s strategy and investing activities, including 50+/$5 billion+ in capital transactions, including IMG, UFC and On Location Entertainment.

Prior to Endeavor, Richard co-founded and helped develop The Raine Group, now a leading sports and entertainment merchant bank with over 150 employees, a global advisory business and over $2 billion in investing capital under management.

Richard began his career at Goldman Sachs after attending Vanderbilt University, where he majored in Engineering and Economics and played for the men’s soccer team.

Richard has held board director or observer roles for organizations such as On Location Entertainment, Zumba Fitness, Nitro Circus, Reigning Champs, and non-profit Shorecrest Preparatory School.

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Mike Milliron

Chief Operating Officer, IMG Academy On-Campus

Mike Milliron is a visionary leader and strategic architect, currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer of IMG Academy’s Bradenton campus. With a remarkable career spanning various key roles within IMG Academy, Milliron has consistently demonstrated his ability to drive organizational growth, foster cultural transformation, and deliver unparalleled results across multiple areas.

Milliron's tenure at IMG Academy has been marked by a series of notable achievements and transformative leadership roles. He has exclusively worked in a leadership role for and with each of IMG Academy’s past three president’s including Tim Pernetti, Chip McCarthy, and Sam Zussman.

In his current capacity as Chief Operating Officer, Milliron oversees the strategic direction and operational efficiency of IMG Academy's Bradenton campus and products, including its boarding school and camps, Legacy Hotel, and IMG Academy Golf Club. His visionary leadership and strategic expertise have been instrumental in driving organizational success and fostering a culture of excellence and experience.

Previously, as the Senior Vice President of Product Operations, Milliron spearheaded the establishment of a first-of-its-kind division focused on elevating the experience at IMG Academy to new heights. Under his guidance, this best-in-class division became the driving force behind organizational culture change, emphasizing the importance of experience-centric strategies and initiatives for IMG Academy’s customers and team members. The department included key areas of focus such as campus experience, production innovation, consumer insights and customer success. Under Milliron, the division launched several pillars of success at IMG Academy including Mission UCX – an experience-based platform for team members to improve the campus experience; a reimagined campus center with student-athlete feedback included; an unprecedented effort to improve the female student-athlete experience with programming; and improvements to satisfaction for student-athletes, families and campers.

From 2021-2024, in addition to his Production Operations leadership role, Milliron also was given direct oversight of key areas on campus including Academics, Athletics and Student-Life. He was named interim Head of School overseeing staff and student-athletes, led college placement records for student-athletes and innovative programming for the Academic arm of IMG Academy. His strategic decision making in each of these roles helped restructure the departments for success. He implemented innovative approaches for future growth and set the standard for an experience-driven culture.

As Chief of Staff, Milliron played a pivotal role in navigating the organization through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. His adept crisis management skills were instrumental in maintaining operational continuity and driving positive change within the organization. As Chief of Staff, Milliron also launched diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives – building the strategic plan for how IMG Academy would champion these efforts company-wide.

Throughout his tenure at IMG Academy, Milliron has held various leadership positions, including Director of Sales, Lacrosse Student-Athlete Advisor/Program Manager, and Associate Athletic Director/Director of Camps. In each role, he has consistently delivered exceptional results and driven growth through innovative strategies and collaborative teamwork.

Milliron's journey began with a strong foundation in academics and athletics. He pursued his undergraduate studies at Penn State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences. During his time at Penn State, Milliron was a member of the varsity baseball team. His dedication and talent in the sport led to his selection in the 2005 Major League Baseball draft by the Colorado Rockies. Following his baseball career, Milliron continued his pursuit of excellence in academia. He obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Masters of Sports Administration from Ohio University, further honing his skills and expanding his knowledge in the realm of business and sports management.

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Lisa Strasman

President, NCSA College Recruiting

Lisa Strasman is the president of NCSA College Recruiting as well as one of the first competitive female ice hockey players in Illinois. She went on to captain the women’s hockey team at Yale University and, after graduation, played professional hockey in Switzerland.

Strasman joined NCSA in 2004 as a recruiting coach and director. She was later promoted to Vice President, Operations in 2006, and Chief Operating Officer in 2009. In her various roles, she helped develop the process and digital platform that today guides thousands of student-athletes and their parents through the college athletic recruiting process and helps them find the right college fit.

Since Strasman became president in 2012, NCSA has seen steady growth in all areas, including the number of college commitments. Under her leadership, NCSA also launched IMG Academy+ in 2022, an online extension of IMG Academy providing 1-on-1 mental performance and nutrition coaching to student-athletes everywhere. Strasman has also instilled a strong team culture, as evidenced by NCSA’s 30+ Best Places to Work awards.

One of the first competitive female ice hockey players in Illinois, Strasman captained the women’s hockey team at Yale University and, after graduation, played professional hockey in Switzerland.

In addition to her role as president, Strasman is a frequent speaker and featured panelist at events including SXSW and Women in Sports and Events. She has also written articles for Fast Company, Entrepreneur, and more. Strasman is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and sits on the board of the Windy City Chapter. She also coaches youth hockey in the Chicagoland Area and serves on the board of the Falcons Hockey Association.

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