Another day of a first for the WNBA occurred on December 3rd in what has been a busy news week overall for women’s basketball.
The league announced that day it has tapped Phil Cook, a veteran in the sports industry to be its first ever Chief Marketing Officer.
The #WNBA is excited to announce that Phil Cook has been named the league’s first Chief Marketing Officer 🏀
Full release 🔽https://t.co/bWcoxwNtMD
— WNBA (@WNBA) December 3, 2020
Cook arrives in the WNBA after 20 years at one of the league’s signature sponsors – Nike. According to a release, he will report directly to commissioner Cathy Engelbert and will also work in partnership with Kate Jhaveri, the NBA’s Chief Marketing Officer.
Phil Cook’s ability to tell powerful player stories, connect to young consumers and build culturally relevant brands makes him an ideal fit for the WNBA as we build on our brand identity and overall momentum for the league.
–Cathy Engelbert, WNBA commissioner (release)
We’re thrilled to have Phil join the team ahead of our historic 25th season, with opportunities to capitalize on the successful 2020 season led by the WNBA players.
–Cathy Engelbert, WNBA commissioner (release)
Cook is a native of the Toronto area and once was in charge of Nike’s North American Women’s brand efforts.
The quality of play on-court has never been higher while the relevance and support of the athletes off the court has attracted a growing consumer base for the league to serve. I’m excited to bring my long history of marketing world class athletes, teams and leagues to the WNBA to inspire and grow the women’s game around the globe.
–Phil Cook, WNBA Chief Marketing Officer (release)
