Jimmy Pitaro has worked at ESPN since March 2018 when he was named president of the sports media brand and co-chair of Disney Media Networks. Prior to his time serving as an executive in the media business though, Pitaro practiced law in the state of New York for five years and obtained his Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law. Pitaro returned to his alma mater this past weekend to deliver the commencement address to this year’s graduating class, during which he conveyed several lessons he has learned throughout his time in business. In fact, he reflected on his days playing college football at Cornell University, specifically taking part in the huddle and how the team went about calling plays.
Drawing a parallel to how he operates the business at ESPN, Pitaro articulated his philosophy of “Discuss, debate, decide, align” in leadership meetings. In essence, discussion and debate is encouraged in meetings, and Pitaro explained that it is great if they can decide on something as a team. If they are unable, however, it is up to him to make the final call and then for everyone to accept what was chosen and work together to effectively run the play. Prefacing this point, Pitaro reflected on a documentary he watched about The Eagles and how band founder Glenn Frey decided to step away from lead vocals.
“When asked why, he responded simply, ‘Well, we have Don Henley,’” Pitaro said. “Now that’s a team player. What I miss most about competitive sports is the huddle and that bond that I had with teammates. We just wanted to win and for each other. At ESPN, we say, ‘Act like an offensive lineman.’ They get very little glory, but they work their tails off, all for the greater good.”
Within his speech, Pitaro also mentioned the power of patience, illustrating how it took seven years to move to ESPN even though he thought he would join the company quicker upon being hired by Disney. Pitaro has spoken previously about how he would have yearly performance reviews with chief executive officer Bob Iger, during which he would mention his interest in working at ESPN in the future. Even though it did not happen right away, his persistence and determination paid off following several interviews, and he has helped facilitate rights acquisitions, content endeavors and other business ventures throughout his time leading the company.
“As someone who looks to hire great people at ESPN, I’d also call out the importance of eyes-open optimism,” Pitaro said. “Bob [Iger] says all the time, ‘No one wants to work for a pessimist. Be an energy giver, not an energy taker.’ I’ve also learned to be solution oriented. If I bring a problem to my boss, I also bring a solution.”
Pitaro closed out his speech by imploring the graduates to work hard, be nice to people and ensuring they do not embarrass the family. Regarding his last point, he explained earlier in the speech that his grandmother advised him of such while he was preparing for a job interview, something he acknowledged was indicative of her capturing the “spirit of always doing right.”
Pitaro subsequently explained that while people can make mistakes at Disney, no tolerance exists related to “lapses is integrity,” something he feels is a foundation in order to have a strong career in law. Furthermore, he imparted a maxim in acting, the profession held by his wife, enunciating how there are no small parts but rather small actors, and stated how all of the moments count.
“I worked with Steve Jobs while on the Disney board, and he would say, ‘Everything you do is either a brand deposit or a brand withdrawal,’” Pitaro said. “Again, no matter how small it might seem, it matters. Joe DiMaggio once stretched a late-inning double into a triple when the Yankees were already well ahead in the game. When asked why, he said, ‘There might have been one kid in the stands that had never seen him play before.’ The point is everything you do has an impact, both large and small decisions.”
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