[ad_1]
Kiel Leggere
Aileen Dagrosa was the first lawyer on staff at the Philadelphia Eagles, joining in 2007 with an understated title of “director of legal affairs.” Today, she’s senior vice president and general counsel, and those words don’t come close to doing justice to her importance.
Dagrosa is a critical voice at the highest levels of Eagles business, in demand daily to owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and President Don Smolenski. She’s the rarest of commodities in NFL front offices — a true switch hitter with meaningful expertise on both the football operations side (namely on player contracts and union rules) and the business side.
“People have given me the opportunity to speak up and talk,” Dagrosa said. “Jeffrey has always looked for different people’s opinions, and the same with Howie and Don. They’ve given me an opportunity to speak. Sometimes, I might provide a different perspective from what others do, and I’m willing to say what might not be the popular decision as well.”
In 2020, she helped write COVID protocols from scratch with a focus on non-player employees. Nine years earlier in 2011, she helped lead the frantic training camp push to sign 11 rookies under a days-old collective-bargaining agreement nobody had read yet.
“We spent many nights here, and the air conditioning goes off at a certain time,” she recalled, “something we didn’t know until we stayed that late.” — Ben Fischer
Aileen Dagrosa
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Philadelphia Eagles
Born: Syosset, N.Y.
Education: Yale University, B.A., psychology; Tulane University Law School, J.D.
Family: Spouse, Anthony; children, Claire (7) and Anthony (4)
More about Aileen
Guilty pleasure: “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise” (of course!)
Year’s greatest challenge: Our home was destroyed by a tornado a year ago. Fortunately, no one was physically injured. It has been an overwhelming experience but the amazing support that we have received from family, friends, neighbors, our town, community, co-workers, colleagues, the Eagles, the sports community generally and strangers has helped us through this difficult time. We are truly blessed by all the support that we received and look forward to moving into our rebuilt home before the end of the year.
I wish I’d known at my career’s start: Each person sets their own definition of success. There is not a set of accomplishments that determine success generally. You determine it.
Advice to a young person looking to work in sports business: First, learn to be good at your craft whether that is as a lawyer, marketing professional, salesperson, etc. As you are doing that, get to know people in the sports industry that will support and advocate for you.
[ad_2]