Samantha Thrower
Manager, Event Operations
Chicago Cubs
Connect with Samantha:
LinkedIn Bio
QUICK FACTS:
Events: MLB, Concerts
Years in Sports: 12
Fueled by: A pot of coffee in the morning, caffeinated tea during the day, coffee at 4 pm before a night game, then water the rest of the day.
Inspired by: Seeing all her colleagues accomplish, the tireless hours they invest in pulling off incredible events and the passion they show in all they do
DISCOVERING A PATH TO PURPOSE AND PASSION…
Twelve years into her career, she is one of the few in sports who boasts that she has been with the same organization: the Cubs. Originally from Sycamore, IL, Sam earned a full ride to play volleyball at Indiana University, where she started all four years. After graduation, she got her start in the Cubs Ticket Sales department, where she helped move season tickets (which, at the time, had over 100,000 fans on the waitlist —and this was three years prior to the championship run!). She had great success and was brought on full-time.
While she was good at selling, she didn’t find the passion for the duties, and in a chance lunch and learn, she discovered the world of ballpark operations. She reached out to Morgan Bucciferro to job shadow and was immediately enthralled with the world of logistics and operations. When a coordinator role in the department opened up, she applied and was hired. She has spent the last decade building a top-tier guest experience team and cultivating a hospitality mindset across the front office and front-line staff.
Samantha’s favorite part of the job is the people she works with, both on the team and at events. She learns from and is motivated by their passion, drive, and knowledge. She has also enjoyed working concerts, NHL, NCAA, and other specialty events at Wrigley Field over the years.
BEYOND THE EVENTS:
Outside of work, Samantha loves cooking, gardening, traveling, and thrifting. She also prioritizes her family and friends, dedicating time throughout the year for family visits and friend trips, including an annual camping weekend.
The Cubs’ World Series run in 2016 remains one of Samantha’s favorite sports memories, from the atmosphere at Wrigley and throughout the city, to the energy amongst the staff, the experience is a cherished one.
The biggest challenge with her role is how fast things move once the season starts, making time management critical to be sure those larger, strategic projects don’t fall by the wayside amidst the 81+ games and events she oversees each year.