Welcome to the first episode of the Front Office Exchange, a podcast that takes a closer look at the careers of leading executives and rising stars in the sports business industry. Each week we'll talk to everyone from recent sports management degree recipients looking for a new job all the way up to major professional sports league commissioners.

Who am I and what makes me qualified to host this podcast? From 2002-2012, between USA Baseball, the USOC, the USGA and a few other stops along the way, I led international media operations and co-directed Olympic and major championship golf hospitality programs. I got to travel the world, make some amazing memories, and most importantly, I learned from some of the best and most influential leaders in sports business.

In 2012 I made a dramatic career change out of sports and media, and into executive search. It was a move that made sense for me professionally and personally, and it's a decision that many in the industry are faced with at some point in their career. Fast forward to today, and after four years with KFA Search placing senior-level executives in a variety of industries, I am leading our efforts to branch into sports. I am confident that both entry- and senior-level executives will gain valuable insight from each episode.

Please visit us at www.frontofficeexchange.com, on Facebook at Front Office Exchange and on Twitter at @frontofficeexch. Please also feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected] and on Twitter at @jakefehling.

This and past episodes of Front Office Exchange are available on iTunes and SoundCloud, among other places, and I encourage you to share them, rate them, add comments, and suggest ideas for future guests.

Thank you for listening!