Ena Patel is the Director of Games Planning & Integration at LA28, the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028. She plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth delivery of the games, focusing on cross-functional planning and maintaining integration across various departments to prevent siloed operations. Ena’s career in sports has been marked by a dedication to strategy, organizational development, and operations. Her work at LA28 involves supporting the Chief Business Officer and Chief Operating Officer, contributing to the overall success of the event. Ena’s passion for sports extends beyond her professional sphere, as she is known for her love of building relationships and solving puzzles in the industry.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- The pivotal moments that led to Ena Patel’s career transitions
- Ena’s experience as a woman of color in the sports industry
- The importance of having a multi-dimensional background in leadership roles
- Balancing big-picture thinking with detailed analysis and problem-solving
- How to navigate workplace changes
- The role of LA28’s planning and delivery group
- HR strategies for a fast-paced sports organization
- HR considerations for a remote workforce
In this episode…
In the dynamic world of sports management, especially when planning an event as big as the Olympic and Paralympic Games, how does one ensure seamless integration and coordination across diverse departments? The answer might lie in a unique strategy of balancing depth with breadth.
Ena Patel, a trailblazer in the sports industry, offers a fresh perspective on this challenge. Her philosophy of being “a foot deep and a mile wide” summarizes her approach to overseeing a myriad of departments, ensuring fluid coordination while avoiding the pitfalls of siloed operations. From handling logistics and venue management to dealing with ticketing and hospitality, Ena’s method showcases the art of juggling multiple aspects without losing sight of the overarching goals.
In this episode of WRK & WIN, Corinne Milien speaks with Ena Patel, Director of Games Planning & Integration at LA28, about her strategic approach to overseeing valuable elements of Olympic and Paralympic Games. They discuss Ena’s philosophy of balancing a wide-ranging understanding with focused management, her innovative solutions to the challenges of organizing large-scale events, and the importance of building a diverse, multi-generational workforce.
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