Denise Michaels Named Head of New Sanderson Strategies Group Sports Division

Robert Munson to Partner with SSG Sports as Executive Director and Open Louisiana Office

After nearly 25 years representing major U.S. sports, business, political, and non-profit clients, Washington, DC-based Sanderson Strategies Group today announced a dedicated division, SSG Sports, to focus on providing cutting-edge solutions for clients in an industry facing expanding challenges and scrutiny.

Denise-Michaels
Denise Michaels

Sanderson Strategies Group has worked more than 24 years with the Commissioner’s Office of Major League Baseball, and with 22 of 30 MLB teams, providing public strategy and tactics, research assistance, media training, public concerns management, and has developed or directed Commissioner initiatives for new ballparks, female audiences, diversity, and philanthropy. SSG has also represented NFL, NBA, National (Women’s) Pro Fastpitch, NCAA and other teams, coaches, and players.

Denise Michaels, an executive at SSG for 17 years, following a seven-year stint with the public relations office of Major League Baseball, will lead the new division as Senior Vice President and Chief of Sports Strategy. She will oversee new business and develop sports strategies, as well as continue to work closely with current league, team and player clientele.

“The culture and business of sports is being examined and scrutinized at levels no one could have imagined even a few years ago,” said SSG President Len Sanderson. “The financial and emotional investment in professional and collegiate sports require that leagues and teams, as well as their executives, general managers and athletic directors, coaches and players, all have public strategies.

“Denise understands the personal side of challenges in business, sports, politics, and media,” Sanderson said. “She knows that if a client doesn’t manage his or her own reputation, then it will be defined by others. She hates turn-key solutions to issues that matter, and her experience, instinct, and compassion uniquely qualify her to help clients find their voices and make them heard.”

“A penetrating spotlight is on sports as never before,” said Michaels. “Whether you consider this better or worse, if you’re a team, a player or a university, this allows you more personal and creative opportunities and platforms to define yourself, tell your own story, battle back on issues or engage with fans and sponsors. And, there are few agencies that can offer our confidential individual attention while employing the broad perspective we have not just in sports, but also in pop culture, politics, business and the non-profit world.”

SSG Sports will offer a range of strategic services, including brand and reputation positioning; crisis management and communications; media training; public issue campaigns; media relations; and, charitable planning. SSG Sports clients include sports leagues, municipalities, universities, ownership groups, professional and collegiate team executives, coaches, and athletes.

“The SSG brand has always been based on providing very personalized, confidential, and direct services to a select clientele,” Sanderson also said. “SSG Sports customers can depend upon Denise and Robert to listen to and understand their specific needs, and to work with them to design tailored public strategies that allow them to tell their own stories their own way.”

SSG also represents Fortune 500, non-profit organizations and associations, environmental, agriculture and education clients, museums, start-up companies, CEOs, public interest organizations, advocacy groups, and public personalities, entertainers, and politicians.

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Contacts: Sanderson Strategies Group at 202.682.3700 or info@sandersonstrategies.com

Len Sanderson – len@sandersonstrategies.com
Denise Michaels – denise@sandersonstrategies.com
Robert Munson – robert@sandersonstrategies.com

For more information on Sanderson Strategies Group or SSG Sports, please go to www.sandersonstrategies.com.

You can download this announcement here.

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