Lesa France Kennedy

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Lesa France Kennedy
Born
Lesa Dawn France

(1961-05-24) May 24, 1961 (age 62)
EducationDuke University (BA)
OccupationExecutive Vice Chair of NASCAR
Spouses
Bruce Kennedy
​
​
(m. 1988; died 2007)​
Bill Christy
​
(m. 2019)​
ChildrenBen
RelativesBill France Jr. (Father)

Lesa France Kennedy, (born Lesa Dawn France on May 24, 1961) is an American businesswoman and Executive Vice Chair of NASCAR.[1]

Education and career[edit]

Kennedy received a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Psychology from Duke University in 1983.[2]

Kennedy joined ISC in 1983 and was named to the board of directors one year later. She served as ISC's secretary from 1987–96 and as its treasurer from 1989-96.[3] From that point until April 2003, Kennedy was the company's executive vice president.[4] She was then appointed president of ISC after her father, Bill France Jr. stepped down. Most recently, Kennedy was named chief executive officer in April 2009.[5]

Kennedy has been ranked as one of the most influential women in sports by numerous publications.[6] Forbes called her "The Most Powerful Woman in Sports" in 2009.[7] In 2006, she was listed as one of the "25 Most Influential People in NASCAR" by the Charlotte Observer, "Most Influential Woman in Sports Business" by Volusia Flagler Business Report,[8] and was "Female Sports Executive of the Year" according to SportsBusiness Journal.[9] In 2016, Adweek named her one of the "30 Most Powerful Women in Sports".[10] In 2022, she was named one of Sports Business Journal's "Most Influential Property Pacesetters."[11]

Personal life[edit]

Kennedy is married to Bill Christy, CEO of CLASH Endurance, an event endurance sports media company. [12]

Kennedy's first husband, Dr. Bruce Kennedy, was killed in a plane in Sanford, Florida on July 10, 2007.[13] Five people were killed, including two small children.

She is the mother of former NASCAR driver and current SVP of Racing Development & Strategy Ben Kennedy.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "NASCAR closes merger with ISC | NASCAR.com". Official Site Of NASCAR. 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  2. ^ "Lesa France Kennedy". International Speedway Corporation. Archived from the original on 2018-06-30. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  3. ^ King, Bill (2001-10-15). "Executive VP named Female Sports Executive of the Year". SportsBusiness Daily. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  4. ^ "Stocks". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  5. ^ "Lesa France Kennedy". Geni. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  6. ^ "Lesa France Kennedy Named Most Influential Woman in Sports Business". Truckseries.com. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  7. ^ "The Most Powerful Women In Sports". Forbes,com. 2009-10-14.
  8. ^ "Lesa France Kennedy". The Business Journals. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  9. ^ "2006 – Lesa France Kennedy – International Speedway". American Marketing Association. 2 July 2006. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  10. ^ Meet the 30 Most Powerful Women in Sports Adweek, June 26, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  11. ^ "Most Influential: Property Pacesetters". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  12. ^ Magazine, Triathlon (2021-12-01). "Ready to Clash? The story behind the new multisport series and its speedway thrills". Triathlon Magazine Canada. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  13. ^ 2019 married Bill Christy, CEO CLASH USA a sports event media company. [1] Archived October 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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