Thayer Lavielle
Thayer Lavielle joined Wasserman in 2011 and currently serves as Managing Director, The Collective, leading the practice that exists to advance the power of, and drive the investment in women in sports, entertainment and music. Since the launch in 2019, she quickly built a multimillion-dollar consultancy and brand, making The Collective a global industry and thought leader. As part of The Collective, Lavielle also spearheaded the formation of The Collective Think Tank, a global consortium of academic and industry organizations dedicated to driving research and insights about women that can drive change. In 2024, The Collective and The Collective Think Tank were recognized by the Sports Marketing Association with the Mullin Award which is given to organizations that have made significant contributions to the education of sport marketing.
Prior to the launch of The Collective in 2019, Lavielle led Talent Marketing and Operations across Wasserman’s Team Sports’ Broadcast, Coaching and Women’s groups from 2017-2019. In that role, she was responsible for the sales and marketing team which creates platforms and singular ideas to support Wasserman agents in their ability to monetize their talent clients. She was also previously Wasserman’s EVP, Corporate Growth and Development from 2015-2017, helping to open Wasserman’s office in Shanghai, and led the company’s brand retainer client portfolio from 2013-2015, working with global clients including PepsiCo, Microsoft, Diageo and American Express while leading a team of 50.
Lavielle came to Wasserman from Brandthink, a full-service agency in Charlotte, NC, where, as a partner, she developed numerous projects for sports-related clients. Prior to Brandthink, Lavielle led the business initiatives of JR Motorsports, where she played the lead role in developing the Dale Earnhardt Jr. brand. She began her career in journalism as a producer at ABC News on World News Tonight and Good Morning America before transitioning into the marketing world, working on both the agency side and directly for brands. Her longest tenure was at L’Oréal, where she had roles in PR and Marketing, eventually running Lancôme’s $400 million promotional marketing business.
Throughout her career, Lavielle has negotiated over $250 million worth of talent, brand, property and venue deals in sports and entertainment. Well-versed in brand and talent strategy, partnerships, events and hospitality, she has been at the forefront of innovations in consumer engagement, research and insights, strategy building, personalized experiences, retail integration, ticketing and delivering thought leadership.
Lavielle is a Sports Business Journal 2019 Game Changer, 2023 Trailblazer of Distinction award recipient from her alma mater, Colgate University, and 2024 Woman of Inspiration for WISE Greater Raleigh. Fluent in French, she lives in Cary, NC, with her husband and three children.
