HBS Club of San Diego

Jeff Moorad, new CEO and part-owner of the San Diego Padres, has high hopes for building a true championship team, and he’s not letting any Bull’s Eye Bermuda grass grow under his feet as he moves forward with his plans. Making tough and sometimes controversial decisions, he has his eye on the prize.

Please join us on Tuesday, January 26, at 7 am for our CEO forum meeting to hear him talk about:

Jeff's career has led him to be named one of The Sporting News’ 100 Most Powerful People in Sports on eight occasions. His accomplishments before his involvement with the Padres include founding Moorad Sports Management -- where he specialized in athlete representation -- and serving as a member of the executive team of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He represented more than 40 first-round selections from baseball’s annual First Year Player Draft in his practice, highlighted by breakthrough deals for No. 1 overall selections Darin Erstad (1995) and Pat Burrell (1998), both draft records at the time.

Jeff Moorad's Detailed Bio:
One of the most recognizable names in professional sports, Jeff Moorad brings more than 25 years of sports industry experience to San Diego. In February 2009, Moorad and a California-based group reached an agreement to purchase 100% ownership of the Padres over a five-year span. Moorad was named Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, roles which he fills today. When Moorad was named a member of the executive team of the Arizona Diamondbacks, he brought a wealth of experience in Major League Baseball on the player side of the table.

While with Arizona, Moorad was a General Partner, Chief Executive Officer, the spokesman for the D-backs’ ownership group, and oversaw, along with Ken Kendrick, the day-to-day operations of the franchise.The founder of Moorad Sports Management, he began specializing in athlete representation in 1983, with his main focus on Major League Baseball. Moorad’s reputation as a knowledgeable and respected negotiator has earned him a spot on The Sporting News’ 100 Most Powerful People in Sports on eight occasions, as he helped revolutionize player representation. Moorad’s client base took off in 1984 when he was retained by Will Clark and four other members of the U.S. Olympic baseball team, each of whom were Top 10 draft choices. He then joined forces with Leigh Steinberg in 1985 to form one of the most dynamic twosomes in the history of sports representation, covering both Major League Baseball and the National Football League. The successful duo negotiated more than $3 billion in athlete contracts throughout their 18 years together, including representing Pro Football Hall of Famers Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon and Thurman Thomas. Moorad was the negotiator on a number of landmark contracts for a baseball client base that included Manny Ramirez, Eric Karros, Ivan Rodriguez, Mo Vaughn, Shawn Green and Raul Mondesi.

Moorad represented more than 40 first-round selections from baseball’s annual First Year Player Draft in his practice, highlighted by breakthrough deals for No. 1 overall selections Darin Erstad (1995) and Pat Burrell (1998), both draft records at the time.While sports representation occupied the majority of Moorad’s professional time, it also led to work in the entertainment field as he has consulted and appeared in major motion picture projects involving sports. He was the baseball technical consultant for the Universal motion picture “For Love of the Game” and had a cameo appearance in the movie, and then he and former partner Steinberg both appeared in and served as technical consultants to director Cameron Crowe in the 1996 Oscar-winning picture “Jerry Maguire.”

The former President and CEO of Moorad Sports Management, his firm did not stop at athlete representation as Moorad guided it into a variety of sports technology ventures, publishing projects and charitable community projects. Consistent with his civic commitment, Moorad helped his clients understand the responsibility of serving as role models in the community, encouraging them to contribute millions of dollars to community programs, including their own non-profit foundations and alma maters. Leading by example, Moorad endowed a $100,000 scholarship to his alma mater UCLA.Moorad ventured into the sport of NASCAR, purchasing controlling interest in Hall of Fame Racing from Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman.

A native of Modesto, Moorad earned an Associate in Arts degree from Modesto Junior College in 1976, where he served as Student Body President, a degree in Political Science (B.A.) in 1978 from UCLA, then received his law degree from Villanova University School of Law (J.D.) in 1981. Jeff and his wife have three sons.

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Location: Fish & Richardson Law Center, 12390 El Camino Real, San Diego, CA 92130 (From I-5 South, exit Carmel Valley Rd/Hwy 56 East. Left off exit. Left onto El Camino Real, left at third traffic light onto Del Mar Corporate Ct. The Fish & Richardson building is on the right.

(From I-5 North, don't take 56 bypass, exit Carmel Valley Rd. Right off exit. Go Left onto El Camino Real, and then left at third traffic light onto Del Mar Corporate Court. The Fish and Richardson Building is on the right.)