2019 Latina of Influence Marissa Fernandez | VP Marketing Strategy & Fan Development, National Football League (NFL)
Hispanic Lifestyle is pleased to recognize Marissa Fernandez – Vice President of Marketing Strategy & Fan Development at the National Football League (NFL) as a 2019 Latina of Influence. Ms. Fernandez along with our entire list of 2019 Latinas of Influence are invited to participate in Latina Conference 2019 taking place April 10 and 11, 2019 in Ontario, California.
Marissa Fernandez as the Vice President of Marketing Strategy & Fan Development at the National Football League, Marissa is responsible for leading the fan growth strategy for two important consumer segments: Youth and U.S. Hispanics. Marissa leads the business planning and execution of league marketing for both segments, including developing effective and holistic marketing campaigns, managing strategic media partnerships (e.g. ESPN Deportes and Nickelodeon, among others), developing grassroots efforts to connect locally, and enabling all 32 NFL teams to strengthen their youth and Hispanic fan bases. She also oversees the marketing of the League’s major events (Combine, Draft, Kickoff, Pro Bowl and Super Bowl) and cause marketing programs (e.g. NFL Play 60, Crucial Catch, and My Cause My Cleats). In addition to her business and marketing contributions to the NFL, Marissa serves on the league’s Diversity Council – a cross-organizational task force that works with the executive team to design and implement policies that promote an inclusive work environment, develops employee programs that promote diversity, and ensures all departments integrate diverse practices into decision making.
Marissa’s influence as a powerful and successful Latina extends well beyond the NFL. Marissa delivers keynotes and participates on panel discussions across the country, often representing a leading voice for Latinas in the boardroom and on the field. She also mentors young professionals, inside and outside the NFL, helping them to navigate careers in sports and marketing.
Marissa was raised by a Cuban father and a Jewish mother. Her unique upbringing as a minority and Latina has allowed her to think about how the NFL can effectively influence young Latinos. Because she experienced on a very microlevel the phenomenon occurring across the country of cultures fusing, minorities becoming the majority, and multiculturalism becoming mainstream, she is able to naturally think about how those insights apply on a more macro level. Some of her most esteemed accomplishments at the NFL include launching the NFL RUSH Gameday app, which is designed to engage families—particularly children—while they watch their teams play; helping bring the NFL’s Play 60 Character Camps to underserved Hispanic communities, allowing kids of all ages to learn about living a healthy and active lifestyle; and revamping the NFL’s Hispanic Heritage month efforts.
Prior to joining the NFL, Marissa served as Client Solutions Senior Director at the Latinum Network, consulting with over 20 brands on their multicultural strategies, including the NFL, NBA, ESPN, The Walt Disney Company, Hershey’s, and Univision. Before Latinum, Marissa spent six years in brand management at Procter & Gamble, where she learned the brand building fundamentals working on powerhouse brands like Tide and Gillette.
Marissa graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University. Since college, she has lived in Cincinnati, OH, Boston, MA, Washington DC, and now resides in Manhattan, NY. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, watching football, practicing tennis and yoga, and spending time with friends and family. She also volunteers as a Big Sister in the NYC Big Brothers Big Sisters Program.
Statement why nominee is being submitted:
Marissa is an intelligent, intuitive and extremely sharp marketer who constantly brings fresh ideas and thinking to the table. In my three years of working with her, she has shown extreme tact and thoughtfulness in developing innovative ways of reaching the growing U.S. Hispanic market. Through her own background as a minority, she shows care and thoughtfulness when developing ways of resonating with the U.S. Latino community. Marissa’s impressive professional and educational background along with her knack for understanding the marketing and sports industries would make her an excellent addition to the Hispanic Lifestyle 2019 Latinas of Influence List.
Nomination submitted by, Krysten de Quesada
