Andretti Autosport Names Jody Bennett VP Of Marketing And Strategic Partnerships

INDIANAPOLIS – International motorsport brand, and reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Andretti Autosport has named industry leader Jody Bennett as the new Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships for the growing family of race teams.

"I'm truly excited to welcome Jody to the Andretti family of race teams," said company Chairman and CEO Michael Andretti. "Jody has an impressive resume with valuable industry experience and accomplishments. As the team continues to grow globally, I have no doubt that she will be a strong asset to the Andretti brand both within and outside of the motorsport industry."

With over 20 years of industry experience, Bennett will oversee client services, marketing, sponsorship activation, licensing and partner strategy. Her extensive experience in the sports marketing field includes work on behalf of internationally recognized brands such as Honda, IBM, FedEx, and Target, overseeing day-to-day client services and marketing strategies. In September, SportsBusiness Journal recognized Bennett as a Game Changer, an award that honors women who are spearheading key initiatives and contributing to the success of the sports business industry in multiple ways.

"Michael and his company continue to push the envelope both on and off the racetrack," said Bennett. "I'm excited to be working with so many great people and representing a well-respected brand such as Andretti."

"It's great to have Jody join our team," said Andretti chief marketing officer Doug Bresnahan. "I've known Jody for nearly 20 years and we've had the opportunity to work together previously. Jody's vast experience within the sports business industry is going to contribute significantly to our organization. She's a game changer that will elevate our overall commercial operations and further strengthen the highly-valued partnerships that are so important to our business."

Bennett joined Andretti after serving as the vice president of operations for CHARGE, formerly known as U/S Sports Advisors, a national sports and entertainment agency.

Prior to joining CHARGE, the Iowa University graduate spent nearly three years as senior vice president at Aquarius Sports & Entertainment in the Washington, D.C., metro area. During which time, Aquarius was twice named to Inc. Magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest growing in America, and was recognized as one of the leading sports event and experiential marketing firms in the country by SportsBusiness Journal.

Before joining Aquarius, Bennett founded Velocity Sports & Entertainment, now Team Epic. As founder and Director of Marketing for Velocity Sports & Entertainment she oversaw multi-million-dollar marketing budgets and was instrumental in developing Velocity's long-standing relationship with FedEx. Bennett was responsible for managing all aspects of the naming rights for FedExField in Washington, DC., serving as a key liaison between the shipping company and the Washington Redskins, as well as the NFL.

As a visionary business leader, Bennett has developed and launched several businesses. The Illinois-native was instrumental in the launch of Protocol International, Inc. where she served as Director, Project Operations. There, she managed and handled logistics and consulted on international protocol handling over 300 visits and delegations from around the world. The avid cyclist, and sponsored athlete also launched and operated Freshbikes/Conte's Bicycles, an exclusive bicycle sales and service business in Washington, DC. She has completed Race Across America (RAAM), bicycling across the United States in seven and a half days. She is also a member of Team Sticky Fingers cycling team, which was the USA Cycling Club of the year in 2014.

When she's not at work or on the bike, she loves to ski, kayak, travel, read and mentor college students. Bennett has also served as a volunteer for Search and Rescue, conducting search operations for missing persons and aircraft and rescue operations in the wilderness.