Morgan Dewan

Chief Brand Officer at Top Rank Boxing

“Morgan Dewan brings a powerhouse blend of creativity, strategy, and leadership to her role as Chief Brand Officer at Top Rank Boxing. She oversees the company’s content, production, and brand storytelling across ESPN and digital platforms—working to widen boxing’s audience and impact.

A former student-athlete at Duke, Morgan credits her early volunteer experience in sports marketing more than her degrees in Public Policy and Economics for shaping her career path. After years honing her creative and strategic skills outside of sports, her passion was reignited through projects like College GameDay and the 2012 Olympics, leading her to Turner Sports and later the San Antonio Spurs before landing at Top Rank.

Morgan is candid about the challenges of managing a demanding career while raising two young boys—especially with a spouse in medicine. But through strong mentorship, ruthless prioritization, and boundary-setting, she’s continued to thrive in leadership roles.

She believes sports has the power to break through cultural barriers and loves being part of telling those athlete stories. Her advice for young women? Build relationships, advocate for yourself, include others, and never burn bridges.

Her long-term goal? One day becoming an Athletic Director at a major university. In the meantime, you’ll find her mentoring women in the industry—or on the slopes, on the water, or cooking at home with her two boys, Luke and Hudson.

And one last thing? Don’t wear sunglasses indoors—it’s a pet peeve.” – Zara Halabu

Please describe your role & responsibilities at that position ?

Oversee the creative, content and production process for our fights and evergreen content.

What did you study in college and how did your educational background shape your career in the sports industry?

I was a student-athlete in college (Field Hockey, Duke University) and in the offseason I volunteered at the Sports Information Desk and in Sports Marketing. This proved to be more influential in my career development than my degree – which was Public Policy and Economics majors/minors.

Can you share the key milestones in your career that led you to your current position in the sports industry?

2005 – 2013: worked around the sports industry, but never in it. I honed my craft in brand publicity, advertising, creative production, creative marketing and digital marketing strategy. It wasn’t until I got to work on College Gameday and the 2012 Summer Olympics than my desire to work in sports full time was reignited and I left my job at AT&T in sponsorships/marketing to join Turner Sports in Atlanta.

2013 – 2021: I held different positions within the Turner Sports and Bleacher Report ecosystem, moving from positions in digital content to live and studio production. I got to work on properties like NBA on TNT, the PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, NCAA Mens Basketball, MLB on TBS postseason and NASCAR on TNT.

2021: I left Turner Sports to head up content and distribution for the San Antonio Spurs. There, I oversee the media rights, broadcast production, digital and content production. I also helped lead a task force to create a season-long celebration around the Spurs’ 50th Anniversary season.

2023: I joined the team at Top Rank Boxing to help rethink how boxing is positioned in the sports landscape and widen the audience. I oversee our shoulder programming on ESPN, digital presence, merchandise and brand publicity.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman in the sports business, & how have you overcome them?

​Without question, it’s been managing the household and my career as a working mom. My husband is a wonderful partner but has little to no work-life integration opportunities as a cardiothoracic surgeon, so the responsibility of the family falls to me. From wanting to give up my career altogether during the early baby and toddler days, to finding ways to show up for my kids and their activities and sports, to balancing extreme childcare costs while traveling, have all been the largest challenges. But it’s doable!

​Balancing a career is demanding. How do you manage a work-life balance? What strategies have worked well for you?

Ruthless prioritization and boundary setting.

How important is mentorship for women in the sports industry? Have you had mentors or role models who played a significant role in your career and can give some details?

Critical. I would have left the workforce at multiple points if it wasn’t for women like Melissa Brenner (NBA), Laura Dames (Turner Studios), Craig Barry (Turner Sports), Matt Hong (Turner Sports), Joleen Legakes and Todd duBoef (Top Rank) and Brandon Gayle (San Antonio Spurs), who validated my feelings, made me feel supported, protected me from myself and offered me flexibility and grace when I needed it.

In a male-dominated industry, do you feel women are given equal opportunities? What steps do you think can be taken to promote gender equality in the sports industry?

I think more is expected of women. The unseen labor that women take on is immeasurable. I still think you have to be twice as good as a male counterpart to take the next step up.

What aspects of your work in the sports industry do you enjoy the most? What parts do you find the most challenging ?

Enjoy – I still believe that sports (playing/watching) can change people’s lives. Sports can overcome racial, religious, socioeconomic, geographic and cultural tensions. I love being part of the storytelling of the athletes, who overcome unthinkable odds.

Challenging: As a working mom, the always-on nature of sports media and the night and weekend competitions still prove most challenging. But it’s the job! Eyes wide open.

What advice do you have for young women aspiring to build a successful career in the sports industry?

Never burn a bridge. Don’t forget to self-promote when and where appropriate. Relationships are everything. Find male and female mentors. Stay flexible in your ideology. Include others and find ways to bring more voices into the conversation.

What are your long term personal goals that you still want to achieve both business wise and personal?

I’d like to continue mentoring and being a resource for young women coming up through the sports industry. I have aspirations to become an Athletic Director at a prominent university once my kids are a little bit older.

Any fun facts you’d like the world to learn about you? Favorite food, hobbies, how many kids, pet peeves, etc. The more the merrier!

Food: Spicy ceviche

Music: Country

Hobbies: Snow Skiing, water skiing, fly fishing, reading, travel, Mahjong, volunteerism, hiking, cooking.

Kids: 2, Luke (8) and Hudson (5)

Pet Peeves: Sunglasses indoors