Speaker Profile

Acclaimed NASCAR executive and sports marketer Jill Gregory has served as Executive Vice President and General Manager at Sonoma Raceway since January 2021. Named by Adweek one of “The Most Powerful Women in Sports” prior to assuming the role, Gregory leads the Speedway Motorsports-owned historic 1,600-acre property where she attended her first NASCAR road course race as a teenager.

As only the second female leader of a NASCAR sanctioned facility when appointed in 2021, Gregory came armed with formidable leadership skills honed by her experience serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Content Officer at NASCAR and the managing executive of the company’s Charlotte-based operations.

Known for more than NASCAR and wine country, Sonoma Raceway is a bustling facility offering a 2.52-mile road course, quarter-mile drag strip and the longest karting track in California. The facility this year has hosted over 750 event days on the road course, drag strip, karting track and paddock, all prepared and managed by the 58 full time employees and 430 part-time and event staff.

Equally at home promoting Sonoma Raceway to the local community, Gregory was honored this year by San Francisco Business Times with an Inspire Award at their “100 Most Influential Women in Business” event. Working collaboratively with the Bay Area sports teams is also a priority and has included events with the San Francisco Giants and Oracle Park.

Remaining steadfast in her dedication to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion endeavors, she co-chaired the Women with Drive II fundraiser benefitting Women in Motorsports North America and was a panelist at the sold-out summit event. Participating in the Pride Parade in 2022 and involvement with area Latino leaders is another step towards promoting Sonoma Raceway as a racetrack opening its doors to everyone in the community.

During her tenure at NASCAR, Gregory led the marketing, media, communications, broadcasting and diversity and inclusion functions, and was responsible for the sanctioning body’s digital platform, including NASCAR.com, the NASCAR Mobile app and fantasy games. Under her leadership, the organization bolstered its overall marketing strategy to strengthen fan engagement and cultivate new fans among younger and more diverse audiences. In 2017, Gregory established the company’s first content strategy group to elevate strategic planning and enhance collaboration within NASCAR and the industry. She also launched an effort to refresh and modernize the NASCAR brand, significantly elevated the sport’s diversity and inclusion platform, and was a key leader in NASCAR’s drive to become the first major league sport to return to live competition during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to joining NASCAR, Gregory was the Senior Vice President of Motorsports Marketing for Bank of America, and previously served as Director of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series marketing program for Sprint Nextel. In 2011, Gregory was selected for the inaugural class of “Game Changers: Women in Sports Business” by Sports Business Journal and Sports Business Daily.

Gregory earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. She currently serves on the board of Speedway Children’s Charities, and is a national Trustee of Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Dedicated to fostering a positive and uplifting company culture, she mirrors her strong family ties and love of her community in staff events and collaborative leadership efforts at the raceway.