Johnna Hayward recently embarked on a new role with powerhouse agency Excel Sports Management as a Senior Director of Brand Marketing. Johnna will be leading Excel’s agency work across Coach’s partnership with the WNBA as well as the brand’s athlete endorsements in women’s basketball. 

Previously, Johnna was the Senior Director of Partnership Marketing & Strategy for the New York Liberty where she worked diligently with the team’s 50+ corporate sponsors to develop collaborative marketing plans and activations. Additionally, Hayward led renewal negotiations and oversaw partnership strategy, inclusive of creating strategic brand campaigns and crafting custom sponsorship proposals tailored to each brand’s goals.

Prior to joining the Liberty, Johnna was a Partnership Strategy Coordinator for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (the Liberty’s parent company) where she worked to identify partnership opportunities for Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets, and the New York Liberty to drive multi-million dollar investments through dynamic brand pitches and creative storytelling.

AWARDS

Hayward has recently been named to the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 sports list for her game changing brand partnership work across the women’s sports landscape.

During her tenure as the Liberty’s partnership activation lead, Hayward brought numerous innovative activations to life at Barclays Center, most notably, the WNBA’s first-ever gaming inspired secondary basketball court in collaboration with Xbox. Tied to this activation, Johnna garnered several prestigious awards for her work including Hashtag Sports’ 2023 Best Women’s Sports Partnership of the Year, Sports Technology Awards’ 2023 Best Sports Partnership of the Year, as well as four Clio Sports Awards for creative effectiveness, branded content, partnerships, and sponsorships.

Hayward was also named to Front Office Sports’ Rising 25 Class of 2023 – honoring emerging leaders in sports and entertainment age 25 and under.

COLLEGE

Johnna Hayward attended Penn State where she served as the Smeal College of Business’ Student Council President and Women in Business’ THON Director, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. 

Currently, Johnna is a Member of the Board of Advisors for Penn State’s annual Sports Business Conference.