Event Recap: Gabe Gershenfeld ('11)

           

On April 16, 2012, Gabe Gershenfeld ’11 videoconferenced with the ILR Sports Business Society. A graduate of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations with minors in Economics and Information Science, Gabe currently works for the Cleveland Indians as a Strategic Analyst. Before coming to Cleveland, Gabe interned with Sara Lee, the San Diego Padres and Major League Baseball. He also was a presenter at the Evolution of Sport talks at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, discussing how Labor Relations, Human Resources and Sports intersect. While at Cornell, Gabe served as President of our organization, then called the ILR Sports Management Club. Gabe shared his career experiences and advice for students interested in entering the industry.

As an analyst, Gabe’s primary responsibilities relate strongly to the Indians’ development and execution of strategies. By using data to make decisions, Gabe and his colleagues improve the Indians’ approach to a number of business issues. Essentially, they focus on creating more effective and efficient ways for the franchise to make money.

 One thing Gabe touched on was the collaborative side of the business.  On the business side, teams are often willing to share best practices.  This is different from the highly competitive baseball operations field, where teams maintain a degree of secrecy to develop advantages.  By exchanging information about marketing, ticketing and other business competencies, franchises can make better decisions and drive more revenue.

Furthermore, Gabe discussed the importance of active networking and education.  Touching on the importance of developing as a professional early and often, he discussed how his internships and work at Cornell prepared him for his current job.  As a recent alum, his advice was particularly valuable to students, especially those preparing to enter the job market.

As always, ILRSBS thanks alumni like Gabe Gershenfeld who share their experiences in the sports industry with our members. We are truly appreciative of Gabe’s commitment to educating students on the sports industry and we hope to host him at another event in the future.