Jim Cassidy is a trusted and respected senior executive with over 25 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industry. Cassidy is a forward-thinking leader who consistently gets results by building consensus among divergent audiences and developing logical business solutions.
Cassidy began his career with NASCAR in 2000 at the grassroots level, steadily climbing the ranks to Senior Vice President and Chief International Officer, reflecting his success in leading expansion of NASCAR to major global markets including Mexico, Canada and Europe.
During his tenure at NASCAR Cassidy was a key change agent. He led and worked on teams that radically improved NASCAR’s appeal to fans, sponsors and competitors, and ultimately the sport’s bottom line. Often, Cassidy was front and center as NASCAR’s official spokesperson explaining new initiatives and how they affected the sports various stakeholder groups.
Cassidy’s accomplishments at NASCAR positively affected nearly every aspect of the sport and its management including the on-track competition, safety, diversity, financial structure and the broadcast schedule.
Advancements between the sanctioning body and its many stakeholder groups was a primary area of concentration and success for Cassidy. He was part of the NASCAR executive group that created the Charter System, providing team owners a more predictable, sustainable and valuable team business model by addressing participation, governance and economics. He also was instrumental in the development and introduction of comprehensive communication with drivers, team owners, tracks and manufacturers. The improved communications with key stakeholders has led the way to major improvements and harmony in the sport.
Another central area of concentration included safety and integrity in the sport. Cassidy was instrumental in the development and execution of NASCAR’s safety initiatives that included implementation of SAFER Barriers at venues where the sport competed in addition to enhancing vital safety improvements to the vehicles. He was also responsible for creating and managing NASCAR’s Concussion Protocol, making it a priority for teams and competitors. Cassidy’s work on the sports Substance Abuse Policy reassured the competitors, officials and fans that those competing and managing the races was of clear mind. He also authored and led to fruition a precedent-setting personal conduct policy for the sport, achieving a new level of transparency for its competitors.
Cassidy also oversaw all areas of Multicultural Development, including driver development, crew member development and other core programs, providing students, young professionals and influencers access to the sport.
Prior to his successful tenure at NASCAR, Cassidy spent eight years with a leading Washington D.C. law firm (Miller, Cassidy, Larroca and Lewin) where he was primarily engaged in assisting its representation of the motorsports industry in a wide range of matters.