Russell Silvers '98

Russell Silvers is a chief operating officer for the Global Partnerships division of AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. In his role, Silvers focuses on the retention, renewal and maintenance of sponsorship and naming rights agreements and new business initiatives for AEG’s portfolio of facilities, sports, music, entertainment districts and real estate assets across five continents. With the ability to activate and engage customers at over 10,000 events annually, the AEG Global Partnerships division generates more than $550 million in revenues per year and was named “Best in Property Consulting, Sales and Client Services” for both 2017 and 2018 by the renowned industry trade publication, Sports Business Journal.

The Global Partnerships division manages more than $2 billion in sponsorship and premium seating revenue under Silvers’ leadership, with Silvers also overseeing Global Partnerships’ general and administrative budget as well as the activation budgets for all sponsorship divisions worldwide. Additionally, he is responsible for the co-management and operations of a worldwide staff of more than 300 people. 

With the ability to tap into over 135 topnotch AEG assets, including more than 90 venues, 20 sports teams, events and festivals, Silvers not only leads the partner activation team but also architects the majority of the company’s flagship accounts, including several of the partnerships for L.A. LIVE and STAPLES Center, such as American Express, Microsoft, Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola to name a few. As a result of his strategic oversite and innovative approach to business, Silvers has helped usher in extended and expanded renewal deals with Toyota, Anheuser-Busch, Nike, Wells Fargo, McDonald’s, and Coca-Cola accounting for more than $250 million in contractually obligated income for AEG. Additionally, his ingenuity and unique ability to think outside the box has helped grow the Global Partnerships division by expanding partners into new verticals, both domestically and internationally. 

Since joining AEG in 2003, Silvers’ responsibilities have grown from track and field coordinator at Dignity Health Sports Park, AEG’s Carson, California, sports complex and home to the L.A. Galaxy, to the first co- chief operating officer of the Global Partnerships division in 2017. 

For his accomplishments, Silvers was named to Sports Business Journal’s “Forty Under Forty,” honoring the top business executives in sports and C-Suite Quarterly’s “NextGen 10” for best in sports and entertainment. He was also recognized for his outstanding accomplishments at AEG’s internal Connect Summit, which brings together all of AEG’s executives and highest-ranking employees from around the world by being named as the first ever recipient of the AEG Chairman’s Award. Most recently in 2017, he was named to Variety’s “Dealmakers Impact Report,” honoring top businessmen and women in entertainment. 

Silvers earned a Public Policy and Management degree from University of Southern California where he was a top decathlete, winning All Pac-10 Honors at USC for four consecutive years, and ranking among the global top 40 in the sport in 2002. He lives in Westchester, CA, with his wife, Maria, and their three children, Grace, Gavin and Georgia.