Harvey Wallace Schiller (born April 30, 1940) is an American sports and business executive whose positions have included executive director of the United States Olympic Committee, chief executive officer of YankeeNets, president of Turner Sports, head of the International Baseball Federation and president of the Atlanta Thrashers. He has been named several times as one of the "100 Most Powerful People in Sports" by Sporting News.[1][2][3][4] Schiller is chairman of Schiller Management Group, a global consulting and business solutions company. He is CEO of Goal Acquisitions, a special acquisitions company and chairman of the National Medal of Honor Center for Leadership.
Schiller's sports management career began in 1986 when he was appointed commissioner for the Southeastern Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.[7] In 1990, he was appointed executive director of the United States Olympic Committee and oversaw a restructuring of the organization that led to increased support for athletes and introduction of drug testing; he instituted cash awards for medal winners, oversaw a major renovation of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and added new corporate sponsorships. He was also instrumental in landing the 1996 Summer Olympics for Atlanta and the 2002 Winter Olympics for Salt Lake City.[8][9]
In 1994, business mogul Ted Turner tapped Schiller to become the first president of Turner Sports, a fledgling TV sports operation that produces game telecasts for Turner Network Television and TBS; he oversaw expansion that included the creation of Turner South. As the executive in charge of World Championship Wrestling he was the supervisor of Eric Bischoff, then-president of WCW; in a famous appearance on the wrestling show WCW Monday Nitro he suspended Bischoff from WCW on March 3, 1997.[10] In 1997, Schiller also concurrently became president of the Atlanta Thrashers, an expansion franchise of the National Hockey League.[11]
Schiller was chairman of the unsuccessful bid by New York City to host the 2012 Olympics, and was also appointed to the Women and Sports Commission of the International Olympic Committee.[14] In 2010, he was named to the America's Cup Advisory Board and in 2014 appointed first commercial commissioner; a position responsible for managing, marketing and site selection of the 2017 races held in Bermuda.[15][16] From 2014 to 2018, Schiller was board of directors president for USA Team Handball.[17]
Schiller has been chairman of Assante, USA, which provides life and financial management products,[18] and in 2005 he started the GlobalOptions Group, an international risk management and business solutions company.[19] He has been chairman of Collegiate Sports Management Group and vice chairman for digital media, entertainment and sports practice of Diversified Search and has been on the board of directors of Mesa Air Group, Walker Innovation, Sportsgrid, and Craft 1861.[20][19][21][10][22]
He is chairman of USAF Academy Athletic Corporation[23] and was appointed an honorary member of The Academy Association of Graduates.[24] Schiller is also senior advisor to SailGP.[25]
Schiller is chairman of Schiller Management Group, a consulting company. He is a member of the Presidential Commission on White House Scholars.[26] Schiller serves as CEO of Goal Acquisitions, a special acquisitions company and as the chairman of the board for the National Medal of Honor Center for Leadership.[27]
Schiller and his wife Marcia have established the Harvey and Marcia Schiller Surgical Innovation Center at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. The center is a dedicated center to improve patient outcomes and healthcare efficiencies through surgical innovation. Schiller is also a major donor with his alma mater The Citadel.
