Teresa Gould promoted to Deputy Commissioner, Sports Management & Institutional Services; Deputy Commissioner & COO Jamie Zaninovich assumes expanded role; Pac-12 to hire Chief People Officer that will oversee Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives

SAN FRANCISCO – November 22, 2021 – The Pac-12 announced today an enhanced senior management structure designed to best position the Conference and its members for future success.  Under the redesigned structure, Teresa Gould has been promoted to Deputy Commissioner, Sports Management & Institutional Services; Deputy Commissioner Jamie Zaninovich will expand his existing responsibilities to also oversee finance, communications and a newly created strategy function; and the Pac-12 will hire a Chief People Officer who will report into Commissioner George Kliavkoff and oversee diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in addition to human resources, culture and engagement.

“I am incredibly proud of our entire Pac-12 staff, and organizing our senior management team to best support our student-athletes and members is essential to our collective long-term success,” said Commissioner Kliavkoff.  “Teresa and Jamie are highly accomplished and experienced executives who have been leaders in working with our members to elevate our conference, and who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our student-athletes and member universities.  In their elevated and expanded roles, working alongside our incredibly strong management team, we will be well-positioned to deliver on our conference’s essential priorities.”

“Pac-12 member universities have been leaders in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice, and the newly created role of Chief People Officer that will oversee these areas will help ensure our continued commitment, alignment and advancement of these essential goals working with our members,” added Kliavkoff.

“The collaboration between Pac-12 members and the conference over the past months, and alignment behind strategic objectives and vision, has been better than ever,” said Rob Mullens, athletic director at the University of Oregon and chair of the Pac-12 Athletic Directors Committee.  “Teresa and Jamie are world-class leaders whose deep understanding of our membership and commitment to our student-athletes is second to none.  Alongside with Commissioner Kliavkoff, the Pac-12 senior management team and entire Pac-12 staff, we are very well positioned to deliver for our student-athletes and conference as a whole.”

Teresa Gould joined the Pac-12 in 2018 as Senior Associate Commissioner, Sports Management & Institutional Services, bringing to the role more than three decades of leadership experience, including time as a director of athletics, both a conference and campus senior administrator, and a television and multimedia executive.  At the Pac-12, Gould has led and managed sports administration and championships for Pac-12 women’s basketball and the league’s 21 Olympic sports; compliance and governance; student-athlete engagement; and served as the conference’s senior woman administrator.  Additionally, Gould has led the conference’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on an interim basis since June of 2020.  Among her many accomplishments since joining the Pac-12 include: (i) hiring the conference’s first-ever assistant commissioner of student-athlete engagement to build a comprehensive and best in class program to support student-athletes, (ii) supporting the launch of a new Pac-12 baseball postseason tournament, (iii) establishing the Pac-12 ImPACt Leadership Council to build awareness, identify solutions, and provide leadership in the fight against the systems of racism, exclusion, hate and discrimination and (iv) providing strategic guidance and support to head coaches groups who in her 3-year tenure have won 33 national championships.

Jamie Zaninovich joined the Pac-12 in 2014 as Deputy Commissioner & Chief Operating Officer, having spent his entire career in college athletics including service as the Commissioner of the West Coast Conference.  In his role, he is responsible for television administration, men’s basketball sport management, Pac-12 Global, and also serves as the conference liaison to the Council and Athletics Directors.  With today’s announcement, he will now also oversee finance, strategy and communications.  The strategy function will leverage data and insights on behalf of key conference initiatives to help ensure optimal results and positive impact.  Among his many accomplishment since joining the Pac-12 include (i) leadership of men’s basketball strategic planning, including the recently announced Southwest Athletic Conference scheduling partnership, (ii) negotiating new bowl agreements in the current cycle (2021-2025), including the newly created SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl and Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl, (iii) leading new strategic initiatives including Pac-12 Team Green, (iv) expanding the Pac-12 Global Initiative in China, Australia and other international markets, and (v) overseeing significant student-athlete reforms, including adding Pac-12 student-athletes to the conference’s formal governance structure, expanded continuing education and health care, among others.

The newly created role of Chief People Officer will report to Commissioner Kliavkoff and be responsible for all aspects of conference talent, culture and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.  The role will work closely with DEI officers across the Pac-12’s member universities.  A search for the role will begin in the very near future.