Inside the Front Office: A Conversation with the General Managers of the Twin Cities
Date: Tuesday, May 16, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: TCO Performance Center, 2600 Vikings Circle, Eagan, MN 55121
WISE Twin Cities and the National Society of Black Professionals Twin Cities were privileged to organize a compelling discussion with the intellect of Minneapolis and St. Paul sports. Ninety-one professionals attended and learned about the perspective, leadership qualities, and team mentalities that prepared them to lead Minnesota sports.
Featured General Manager Panelists
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, General Manager, Minnesota Vikings
- Clare Duwelius, General Manager, Minnesota Lynx
- Manny Lagos, Chief Soccer Officer, Minnesota United
- Derek Falvey, President of Baseball Operations, Minnesota Twins
- Bill Guerin, General Manager, Minnesota Wild
See the biographies of our GM panelsists here.
Panel Moderator:
- Gabe Henderson, On-Air Talent/Associate Producer, Minnesota Vikings
Quotes:
- “A leader to me is trying to get the best out of your people. It’s taking a backseat when needed, it’s pushing when needed, it’s teaching, it’s a lot of different things.” - Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
- “The bottom line is you have to believe that diverse perspectives and different people in the room are going to lead you to better outcomes and more innovative solutions.” - Derek Falvey
- “You think it’s all about what you say. I think that has a time and a place but as you go along you become a leader by example and you don’t use your voice as much.” - Bill Guerin
- “Keep hiring people that are better at the job than you are... Keep hiring those people that are going to stretch you, who are going to push you, who are going to make you better. You are going to have an environment that ultimately pushes everyone to be better.” - Derek Falvey
- “Representation matters to me... It’s important for me to be someone that young girls and certainly young boys can look up to. We have the space to prove and show that we have the right to belong here.” - Clare Duwelius
- “I always look at the glass half full about Minnesota. It’s a great community… it believes in the growth and representing whether its the sports industry, whether is the business community, whether is education… or social… I know this community wants to be better” - Manny Lagos
- “What has changed for me, is as a younger leader you think a leadership is about coming in and controlling or being a source of authority. What you come to appreciate overtime and realize it really has less to do with that. It’s about inspiring others to be their best, it’s about creating conditions for others to be successful and to pull the best out of everyone on your team.” - Derek Falvey
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EVENT HIGHLIGHT VIDEO: