Speaker Profile

Annie Lokesh (“low-kesh”) is a Senior Vice President at X Games where she oversees League Strategy & Operations, leading the launch of the world’s first year-round, team-based, co-ed professional action sports league in 2026. Since stepping into the role in March 2025, she has architected the league’s operating structure, club ecosystem, athlete contract model, and governance framework—transforming X Games from an event-based property into a scalable, regionally based league platform. She designed XGL’s inaugural eight-city Club model to drive year-round fan engagement, localized partnerships, and long-term franchise value.

Central to Annie’s strategy is an athlete-first economic system that introduces guaranteed base compensation in action sports for the first time, alongside expanded commercial pathways through endorsements and partnerships. By professionalizing athlete services and aligning incentives across athletes, teams, and the league, she has created structural stability designed to scale globally.

Prior to joining X Games, she was recruited directly from Deloitte by WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, where she helped guide the league’s transformation via a $75 million capital raise, supported media rights strategy, expanded executive leadership infrastructure, and strengthened league-wide operations during a period of historic growth. Annie began her career as a top-performing Senior Consultant at Deloitte and was nationally selected for the firm’s Manager Development Program. Across her career, she has been trusted to build modern sports institutions that center athletes while creating durable enterprise value.

She was recently named to the 2026 Adweek Most Powerful Women in Sports list. She spends her free time in Boston teaching pilates and as a mentor in Women in Sports and Entertainment.