University of Chicago Booth School of Business alum Jason Wright, MBA’13, has been named the president of the NFL’s Washington Football Team, the team announced Monday.
Wright, 38, will be the youngest team president in the league and the first Black team president in NFL history.
The former running back came to Chicago Booth for business school after spending seven seasons in the NFL, playing for the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals. He also served as one of the Cardinals’ team captains, and was the team’s labor union representative during the 2011 league lockout.
“At Chicago Booth, we develop transformational business leaders who will make a positive imprint in the world. Jason Wright continues to embody this, and the exciting news about his new position as the first Black president of an NFL team is not surprising,” said Jessica Jaggers, dean of students and associate dean of student life at Chicago Booth. “During his time at Chicago Booth, Jason was engaged, passionate and inquisitive, demonstrating his leadership in his student and professional life.
“As an alum, Jason continued to be an active partner to the school, offering his time and resources to support the next generation of trailblazers. The Chicago Booth community is tremendously proud of Jason and wishes him much success on his new journey. We have no doubt he will make this position his own and elevate the Washington Football Team to a new level.”
While at Booth, Wright earned concentrations in entrepreneurship, finance and operations. He was involved in student groups including the Management Consulting Group, Christians in Business, and the African American MBA Association, and participated in the John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge.
After graduating with high honors, he joined global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. in its Washington, D.C. office and rose to become partner in its operations practice. While at McKinsey, Wright spearheaded the firm’s Black Economic Institute, where he additionally co-piloted their anti-racism and inclusion strategy.
“From football to business school to McKinsey, I have always enjoyed building exciting new things and taking on the hard, seemingly intractable challenges that others may not want to tackle,” said Wright in a team press release. “I especially love doing this with organizations who have deep history and values that set a firm foundation. This team, at this time, is an ideal opportunity for me.”
In his role as president, Wright will be responsible for leading the organization’s business divisions, including operations, finance, sales and marketing, the team said.
—This story first appeared on the Booth School of Business website.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
