Mario Lemieux might be returning to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but this time it’s not as a player or ceremonial figure. The 59-year-old Hall of Famer is reportedly leading a group looking to buy the team outright. That move signals more than just another sports headline. It reflects a growing trend of former athletes stepping into business leadership roles.
Lemieux already knows what it takes to run a team. He helped save the Penguins two decades ago when he stepped in as a minority owner. Now, he could take the reins in a much bigger way.
His bid comes as more athletes look beyond traditional post-career paths. Some are entering private equity. Others are buying small businesses using a model called entrepreneurship through acquisition. That strategy is usually associated with elite business school grads, but it’s now being reshaped by competitors who once trained for game day.
Advertisement
Jay Dixon, a former Division I football player, is helping lead that charge. Through his platform Success Coach, Dixon guides athletes in making the jump to business ownership. The program has helped a former Los Angeles Dodgers player as well as former NFL athletes. It combines coaching, strategy, and access to capital. Dixon’s team includes experts with backgrounds in psychology, finance, and operations.
A lot of what makes a successful athlete also produces a successful businessperson. With so many years of competing at a high level in a sport, athletes build discipline, resilience and a propensity for performing under pressure, or at least knowing what it feels like. All of those qualities are helping former players step into leadership roles where they’re expected to manage employees and make decisions that affect business outcomes.
Thousands of companies led by Baby Boomers are changing hands in the coming years, and that’s creating an opening for new leadership. Former athletes who are use to high stakes environments are finding ways to step in.
Advertisement
Lemieux’s move could end up being one of the most famous examples of that shift. For a new wave of entrepreneurs, the next big win isn’t a championship trophy. It’s a successful business.
Read More!
Haley Cavinder shows off sculpted physique in new Texas morning workout video
‘SI’ model and gymnast Jordan Chiles stuns in tiny bikinis in Miami photo drop
Paige Spiranac reveals her slowest golf partner ever — and yes he’s famous
