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CBS SPORTS NAMES NDIDI MASSAY SENIOR DIRECTOR OF WORKPLACE CULTURE AND DIVERSITY INITIATIVES

 

Ndidi Massay has been named Senior Director of Workplace Culture and Diversity Initiatives for CBS Sports. In this newly created role, Massay will drive the strategic planning, development, execution and measurement of CBS Sports’ initiatives for a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Among her key responsibilities will be developing and executing tailored strategies, programs and experiences that cultivate an inclusive culture and promote real transformation within CBS Sports. Massay, who begins her tenure on February 1, will report to CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus and CBS Sports President David Berson.

 

“I am pleased to welcome Ndidi to the CBS Sports family,” said McManus. “She brings a wealth of corporate experience and more than two decades of strategic leadership, management and legal experience in the sports, entertainment and media industries. There is no greater priority at CBS Sports than continuing to foster a work environment that is inclusive and equitable for all. We are committed to creating meaningful and systemic improvements resulting in a more united workplace where everyone feels included, heard and is afforded equal opportunities. With Ndidi’s unique background, experience and leadership as a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, she is the right person at the right time to lead us in our efforts. I am excited for the impact that Ndidi will have across our organization.”

 

As part of her role, Massay also will work in partnership with the ViacomCBS Office of Global Inclusion to align CBS Sports’ initiatives with corporate diversity and inclusion efforts.

 

Massay joins CBS Sports after running her own consulting business where she provided diversity, equity and inclusion counsel, services and training to corporate entities, national governing bodies and collegiate athletic departments. She also served as the Commissioner of the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) since 2016, where she led a five-member board setting and regulating policies that govern professional combat sports to ensure safe and fair play throughout the state. Before joining the NYSAC, Massay helped launch the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a nonprofit that works to improve race relations throughout sports by promoting understanding, respect and equality. Prior to RISE, Massay was a Diversity and Inclusion consultant for the National Football League where she advised senior management on diversity and inclusion trends, best practices and talent engagement strategies.

 

“I’m excited to join the amazing team at CBS Sports,” said Massay. “I am looking forward to working with Sean McManus, David Berson and the entire CBS Sports family, as well as with the ViacomCBS Office of Global Inclusion, to help move the needle in diversity, equity and inclusion, to create a more inclusive culture and to enact lasting change.”

 

Massay also has experience in the media industry, having spent time as the Director of Business Affairs for ABC News as well as the Director of Business Operations and Development for ESPN. Additionally, earlier in her career, she specialized in sports and entertainment law as well as diversity and inclusion matters as an attorney.

 

Currently a member of the USA Wrestling Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Big Ten Conference Equality Coalition, Massay has served on numerous boards, including the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Sports, RISE and Beat the Streets New York. She is also a member of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA) and Women in Sports and Events (WISE).

 

In 2019, she was recognized as one of Crain NY’s Most Notable Women in Sports and was honored with the Title IX Trailblazer Award from the NYC Public Schools Athletic League in 2018.

 

Massay received a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where she led the softball team to the NCAA World Series as a catcher. She was inducted into Northwestern’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. She also earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame School of Law, where she also served as an assistant softball coach, and is admitted to practice law in New York and California.

 

She currently lives in Nyack, NY with her husband and two sons.

 

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