In this episode Liz Bhandari interviews the multi-talented Amy Trask. Amy Trask is a writer, CBS Sports analyst, former Raiders CEO, and BIG3 Board Chairperson. Amy interned with the Los Angeles Raiders shortly after graduating, and 14 years later, after obtaining experience elsewhere, she was named CEO, becoming the NFL’s first female CEO, a feat she never dreamed possible. Trask is also known as the “Princess of Darkness” among Raiders fans.
Amy’s journey to the NFL is a fascinating one since it was never something she sought out. This episode delves into her parallel legal and football careers, as well as how one led to the other.
We look at how Amy became the NFL’s first female CEO in a male-dominated industry. Despite the fact that she was the first CEO, ‘women in the NFL’ is still a topic of debate today. We talk to Amy about this and attempt to figure out how we can make the game even more inclusive in the future. The pair discuss Liz’s suggestion of having a rule similar to the Rooney Rule that is expressly to promote female inclusion. Since Amy joined the league, a lot has changed, so this episode doesn’t simply focus on the future. It also honours the achievements made thus far, including a mention of Sarah Thomas, the first female to officiate a bowl game.
We draw on Amy’s two decades of expertise to get her thoughts on the ‘taunting’ and ‘personal foul’ regulations, and the two debate whether they’re helping to improve the game. Finally, Amy discusses her book, the technique she used to write it, and if she has any intentions to write more in the future!
Episode discussion points
- Amy Trask’s career in law and football. (01:05)
- Barriers women face in the NFL. (04:00)
- Shifting women’s inclusion from conversation to commonplace. (08:40)
- The future of the NFL (12:40)
- Recent rule changes to the league. (14:15)
- Amy’s book ‘You Negotiate Like A Girl’ and plans for the future. (15:50)