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The Rising 25 class of 2019, presented by AB InBev, represents some of the brightest young professionals in the sports industry. Over the next several weeks, we’re proud to introduce you to this year’s winners and highlight some of their achievements to date.
Today, meet Andrew DiMario, Manager of Sales at Austin FC.
A 2016 graduate of Ohio Northern University, DiMario worked in temporary positions with the Cleveland Indians and Dayton Dragons during his time as a student while also playing college football. Shortly after graduation, DiMario spent a year as an Account Executive at IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions in San Antonio, where he generated $558,957 in sales.
READ MORE: Meet the Rising 25: Adam Johnson of ISM Raceway
DiMario fell in love with sports and its competitive nature at a young age. By the time he reached college, there was no question he wanted to work within the sports industry in some capacity.
“For me, it was exactly what I wanted to do, so I went after it. I was all in, there was no other option,” DiMario says of his decision to pursue a career in sports. “I knew and set my goals early on, and I feel like that dedicated focus allowed me to translate everything I learned as a student-athlete into big accomplishments early in my professional career.”
Following his time in San Antonio, DiMario returned home to Ohio to become Manager of Inside Sales for the Columbus Crew SC, where he helped his department exceed their new season membership goal by 137% in 2017. DiMario was the leader of the sales team in Columbus, which enabled him to help fifteen different reps reach higher-ranking positions either within the Crew or with different sports organizations, an achievement DiMario takes a great amount of pride in.
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Then, in January of 2019, the Crew’s ownership group at the time asked DiMario to return to Texas to start a position with Austin FC in effort to build the foundation for the newest team in the MLS. The club will play its first match in 2021.
DiMario prides himself on being a sponge. With each personal or professional encounter, DiMario tries to gain a better understanding of the human condition, which in turn makes him an effective leader of people and better sales professional.
“From a learning and development standpoint, I try to absorb as much as I can from as many different people as I can,” he says. “It helps you gain a better understanding of other people’s perspectives and ideas. You can learn something from everyone in this business, regardless of their rank or position. I learn something each day from my own staff.”
READ MORE: Rising 25 Class of 2019
Up to this point, DiMario has achieved success through a high level of dedication, consistency, and unrivaled work ethic. His advice to the next generation of sports business professionals is to exhibit the same type of determination day in and day out.
“Make it obvious. I try to instill that motto into every rep that I work with. If you make it obvious that you are working hard, continuing to develop, and putting up numbers, then at the end of the day, managers or supervisors will have no choice but to promote you or recognize your work. I’ve always strived to leave no doubt in people’s minds that I’m doing the job at the highest level, making a significant impact. You may only get one opportunity in this industry, take advantage of it.”
Meet the full class of 2019 here.
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