CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Kristi Coleman, President of the Carolina Panthers and CEO of Tepper Sports and Entertainment, has been recognized as the Charlotte Businesswoman of the Year by Queens University.
The award, which celebrates influential female leaders in the region, was presented during a ceremony on Thursday.
Coleman, one of the highest-ranking women in professional sports, reflected on her journey in front of a packed audience at Queens University. She first joined the Panthers in 2014 as a financial controller, a role that laid the foundation for her historic rise in the organization.
“In 2014, I got the call from the Carolina Panthers to come and work for them as the controller,” Coleman recalled. “That was probably the biggest decision of my business career.”
Her career took off from there, with her becoming the first female President of the Carolina Panthers and only the second female president in NFL history. In December, she expanded her leadership role, officially taking on the position of CEO at Tepper Sports and Entertainment.
Despite her success, Coleman admitted that self-doubt once played a role in her career. She credited her mother with inspiring her confidence at a pivotal moment.
“I had concerns I wouldn’t be good enough,” Coleman said. “I remember calling my mom and telling her about my doubts, and she said to me, ‘Kristi, you know this business better than anyone. Do you want to train the boss, or do you want to be the boss?’”
Before the speech, Coleman spoke with WBTV’s Jason Puckett and acknowledged the significance of her role and the impact it has on aspiring professionals.
“This year, we played the Raiders, and that was the first time that two female presidents got to face off against each other on the field,” she said. “At first, I thought, ‘Oh, it’s no big deal,’ but then I realized that a lot of young people—boys and girls alike—see us up there. They see that they can do it too. And that’s really important.”
Coleman joins an esteemed group of past recipients of the Charlotte Businesswoman of the Year award, including CPCC President Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer and Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio.
The honor comes as Women’s History Month kicks off, highlighting Coleman’s impact not only in professional sports but also as a role model for future generations.
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