When Vada O. Manager describes his career, he doesn’t frame it as a straight line.
Instead, he speaks in terms of strategic stair steps—each role, board seat, investment, or acquisition designed to create leverage for the next.
That approach has taken him from East St. Louis to Nike’s executive suite, global boardrooms, NBA ownership, private equity investments, and Broadway production credits.
Today, Vada runs Manager Global Holdings, a diversified investment and advisory firm with equity interests in hospitality, residential real estate, sports business, experiential marketing, and tech-enabled service companies.
What began as a consulting practice evolved into a portfolio model: invest in companies he understands, add value where he has expertise, and stay diversified enough to navigate economic cycles.
“I never wanted to build a big company,” he says. “What I wanted was to build value—for founders, for investors, for communities, and for the next generation of owners.”
The Nike Years: Strategy, M&A and Power Moves
Before he became an investor, Vada helped shape the trajectory of one of the most influential brands in the world.
At Nike, he served as Senior Director of Global Issues Management and was part of the internal teams behind several key portfolio moves, including the $305M acquisition of Converse, which later became a billion-dollar brand, and the acquisitions of Starter and Umbro.
Larry Miller, Chairman Emeritus of Jordan Brand, describes his contribution:
“Having Vada as a Nike teammate was tantamount to having an in-house strategic firm that could dually read the business impact of major decisions while helping Nike/Jordan Brand deepen our connection with global consumers. As several will attest, if the stakes were high at Nike, Vada was usually somewhere in the mix.”
Board Leadership as a Value-Creation Tool
Manager joined his first major board at age 21—sitting alongside Fortune-level CEOs and team owners. That early exposure to governance shaped not just his career, but his view of power, influence, and ownership.
He now serves on the board of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) and chairs its Governance and Nominating Committee, having played a key role in its strategic spinout from Ashland Inc., which helped unlock more than $6 billion in value.
He also serves as Board Chair of Arizona Venture Capital Inc., which invests in emerging companies statewide.
His operating principle: boards should not just oversee value creation—they should drive it.
Sports, Private Equity, and the Business of Ownership
Manager holds ownership stakes in three NBA franchises—the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, and Charlotte Hornets—through the Blue Owl/Dyal HomeCourt private equity model.
He views team ownership not as a vanity play, but as a strategic, long-term investment that benefits from global demand and enduring cultural relevance.
That strategy was validated when the Los Angeles Lakers were recently valued at $10 billion, instantly lifting the implied valuations of other teams in the league—including those in Manager’s portfolio.
“A $10 billion valuation for one of the league’s limited franchises raises the valuation of all the others when they come up for sale. The key is being liquid enough to hold your position until the exit window opens.”
For a deeper breakdown of the Lakers deal — and what it signals for the future of NBA ownership — read our full analysis at Shoppe Black. [LINK]
Crisis, Strategy, and the Opportunity Hidden in Reputational Risk
At Nike, Manager helped shape what he now calls “crisis marketing” — the idea that reputational pressure is not just a threat, but a strategic opportunity.
When a customer tried to personalize a NikeID sneaker with the word “sweatshop,” sparking global headlines, the brand didn’t back down. The shoe sold out within 24 hours.
“Crises don’t just test companies,” he explains. “They reveal whether a company knows who it is.”
During the pandemic, Manager brought the same mindset to Valvoline. While competitors struggled with in-person operations, Valvoline’s stay-in-your-car oil change model became a competitive advantage, resulting in record performance and stronger franchise loyalty.
From Mandela to Broadway: A Multi-Sector Playbook
Manager’s career includes advising public leaders such as Nelson Mandela, serving a Washington, D.C. mayor, and consulting for brands across sectors. He’s also an executive producer of Stewart Udall & The Politics of Beauty and a co-producer of Soul Train: The Musical, set to premiere on Broadway in 2025.
“It isn’t how you start in life — it’s how you finish. If you’ve been given access, the real measure of success is who you help unlock the door for next.”
Lessons from a Life Built on Ownership
• Think in leverage, not job titles
• Every interaction is a board interview
• Reputation compounds — for better or worse
• Diversification isn’t optional — it’s survival
• Ownership is the most transferable form of power
Vada O. Manager’s journey is a reminder that ownership isn’t just a financial position—it’s a worldview.
