1. Tell Us About Yourself and Your Current Role
My name is David Traunero and I am passionate about all things sports and entertainment. My career first started as I graduated Brock University and entered the Sport & Event Marketing program at George Brown College. During this time, I discovered who and what I want to be in this career through incredible mentorship and the opportunities that were provided to me.
I currently work with Wasserman as a Brand Manager working with a select group of our clientele on their sports and entertainment marketing strategies. Wasserman was where I got my start in this industry, as a part of the George Brown College sports internship program I had the opportunity to work within their athlete management division and gain valuable experience towards my career growth. Over the past few years, I have worked with SBX Group. Due to the nature of this firm, I was able to work across multiple levels of the agency business allowing me to experience all items across talent, consulting and events.
2. Where do you see yourself in 15 years/dream job?
Since entering the industry, my dream job has always been to be a part of a global agency in sports and entertainment with an incredible group of clients where I can make their dreams come true. In 15 years, I see myself within my current agency, Wasserman, continuing to make an incredible impact within this space and inspiring the next generation of professionals.
3. Who is your mentor at this point?
I have been fortunate to have such an incredible group of mentors throughout my very young career in this industry. I like to break my mentors into two groups – 1) people I have worked with directly and 2) people I aspire to be.
Peter Widdis – Peter is the professor of the Sport & Event Marketing Program at George Brown College. Pete has been an incredible mentor to me since I joined the program. But over all else, I am proud to call him my close friend. He has helped me grow as a professional and as a leader throughout my career.
Francisco Terreros – In the scope of it all, Cisco and I worked a very short time period together at SBX Group. However, in that time, he made a significant impact on my career through his immense positivity and determination to get the job done. I knew he was always after my best interests and we shared similar vibes.
Christopher Armstrong & Caitlin Jennings – These two individuals were my very first bosses in the sports and entertainment industry. I was about as “green” as you could get when I first started working with them as an intern in athlete management. They teed me up for success through their incredible dedication to my career and their willingness to mentor me.
Scooter Braun – I have never met Scooter before in my life but like all millennials, a lot of my mentors come from who I follow on Instagram – he is someone I aspire to be. Putting his incredible story aside, I envy his energy and his passion that he brings to his work every day. During his series on Complex, he had a quote that has stuck with me as I have begun to move up the ranks – when it comes to making serious achievements in the industry he just “waits for people to talk $h!t” and then he goes out and gets it.
Family & Friends – These people have been with me since the beginning. They know who they are, and to them, I am forever in debt to you.
4. What’s one thing you’ve learned early in your career that you didn’t know until you started working in the industry?
Going into this industry, everything I had to base the sports and entertainment culture on was the hit film, “Jerry Maguire.” Based on this film, I had this understanding that the industry was incredibly cutthroat and not overly people-centric. However, upon starting my first day as an intern at Wasserman, I understood that this industry is anything but that. It is an incredibly tight-knit group of individuals that are looking out for your best interests and want you to succeed.
5. What does winning the Rising 25 Award mean to you?
This is such an incredible honor to be recognized as an outstanding individual in my age group within the sports and entertainment industry. After taking a look at my fellow nominees, I know I’m in elite company with the next generation of incredible minds. This award will create significant momentum and recognition for every individual nominated for the future of their careers.
