As CEO and Controlling Owner, Jeanie Buss is responsible for running all aspects of the Los Angeles Lakers organization. Buss, who oversees the business and basketball operations of the team, works closely with President of Business Operations and COO, Tim Harris as well as President of Basketball Operations, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka.
In addition to her role as CEO, Buss also serves as the Lakers’ governor, representing the team on the NBA’s Board of Governors. She is currently a member of the NBA Advisory and Finance Committee and serves on the NBA Labor Committee, which in 2016 successfully reached a deal with the NBA Players Association for a new collective bargaining agreement.
Buss, who spent four years serving as President of the Great Western Forum before joining the Lakers, began her career at the age of 19 as General Manager of World Team Tennis’ Los Angeles Strings. While guiding the team to two league titles, she also created the Forum Tennis Challenge Series featuring players such as John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Steffi Graff, Chris Evert, and Martina Navratilova.
In 1993, Buss brought professional roller hockey to Los Angeles as the owner of the Los Angeles Blades. Her outstanding leadership and dedication earned her Executive of the Year honors by Roller Hockey International. Buss is also using her considerable experience to lead a revival of WOW – Women of Wrestling, featuring female superheroes in the ring, with the goal of showcasing the talented performers and eventually touring the country.
Named by the Sports Business Journal in October of 2011 as one of the Game Changers: Women in Sports Business, Buss serves as a Trustee of the University of Southern California, her alma mater. She is also a co-host of Lakers All-Access, a yearly event presented by the LA Sports and Entertainment Commission, a nonprofit organization which draws events and attractions to Los Angeles.
Actively involved in the community, Buss received the 2018 Sally Award earlier this year for her and the Lakers’ commitment to The Salvation Army and for the team’s work at the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Community Center in Pico Union. She lists Canine Companions for Independence, The Amanda Foundation and the Best Buddies organization among her many charitable endeavors while also working internally with the Lakers Youth Foundation to raise money for Southern California Youth charities. In 2015, she personally pledged $1.5 million to Cedars-Sinai to establish the Dr. Jerry H. Buss Surgical Oncology Fellowship as a tribute to her father.
