Wally Hayward Keeps his Commitment to Chicago
Named WSC Marketing and Communications Chair
By Paul Slomski, WSC Contributor
Wally Hayward, Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer of the Chicago Cubs, has been busy this summer doing what he can to help his team “earn some more ‘W’s.” He has also taken on a lead volunteer role with World Sport Chicago as the newly appointed Chair of the Marketing and Communications Committee. Hayward was a significant contributor to the Chicago 2016 effort to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Gamess to Chicago. When the focus shifted to World Sport Chicago (WSC), he viewed his continued involvement as “a great opportunity to leave a legacy and make sure he kept his commitment to the city where he chooses to live, work and raise his family.“ Hayward also said he has made many friendships while working with the organization and thoroughly enjoys being involved with WSC.
It has been about a year since WSC transitioned its role from being the subsidiary of to being the legacy to Chicago 2016. In that time stronger, more strategic partnerships have been built with the Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools and other organizations to expose even more kids to sports through clinics, programs and events than the 30,000 kids estimated through the course of the Olympic and Paralympic Bid. A long-term planning session also took place, helping WSC focus its mission and create a new board and committee structure. Scott Myers, Executive Director of WSC says the newly expanded structure has “a two-fold purpose, to increase our breadth of engagement with Chicago and to increase our breadth of support for our mission. A larger Board and committee structure will allow us to tap into the tremendous pool of talent in the city and be more fully engaged, helping us impact Chicago on a larger scale.”
Hayward is now in the process of building out the committee and planning strategy to focus on delivering five key messages about World Sport Chicago's primary roles and activities. The organization:
• Improves the lives of Chicago’s kids through sport;
• Uses sport to teach kids life-enhancing values;
• Demonstrates that sport builds and strengthens both families and communities;
• Applies world-class resources to develop and host quality youth sport programming;
• Studies and measures the impact of sport on youth.
The committee will also develop significant partner benefits and put together a sponsorship package to bring more local corporate support and resources to the organization. “World Sport Chicago is a tremendous platform to improve the lives of kids through sport,” exclaims Hayward, “we are anxious to get going!”
Hayward was inducted into the SportsBusiness Journal’s Forty Under 40 Hall of Fame in 2008 after being honored for three consecutive years (2006-08) as one of the leading sports marketing executives below the age of 40 in the United States. A 1990 graduate of Northwestern University, Hayward, his wife Jenny and daughters Riley and Hope reside in Chicago.