Gillian Zucker has assumed a new title since being appointed as the president of business operations for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014.
Last year, she was named CEO of Halo Sports & Entertainment, the new umbrella brand founded by Clippers owner and former Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer. Launched in March 2024, the brand includes the Clippers, the NBA’s G League now known as the San Diego Clippers, the Intuit Dome and the KIA Forum.
Chosen by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the LA500’s most influential business leaders in 2025, Zucker played a key role in the development of the new $1.8 billion home arena, Intuit Dome, which opened in August.
However, Zucker is no stranger to sports, having accumulated over 25 years of experience in the industry. Before joining the Clippers, she worked in motorsports for 16 years, holding various roles at the International Speedway Corp. That included serving as president of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, the largest racetrack on the West Coast.
Ballmer has often credited Zucker with being a key force in strengthening the organization’s brand and identity during her time with the team.
You have an extensive background in sports and business development. How did you come to choose this career path?
In a way, I got lucky. While a senior at Hamilton College, a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, I was encouraged to explore careers fueled by my passions. As a writing major and a sports fan, I thought I might enjoy being a sports journalist, so I spent an afternoon with a journalist covering a minor league hockey game, where everything clicked for me. I knew that day I wanted to run a professional sports franchise.
What made you decide to join the L.A. Clippers?
When I heard Steve Ballmer was purchasing the L.A. Clippers, I knew what an incredible opportunity that role would be. Not just to learn from one of the greatest business minds of our time, but for someone who truly understood the mindset of the sports fans, because he is one. I could not help but feel the opportunity to turn one of the most tarnished brands in sports into one that was admired and cherished would be a unique challenge – one I was excited to take on.
What do you enjoy most about leading the Clippers organization?
We have the best fans! When you pass them in the arena, they put out their hands and say ’88 – meaning, they have been a fan since 1988. And they always share the pride of being a Clippers fan today (versus) all the years it was much harder to be a Clippers fan. Now, if only for the elusive championship they deserve! But if the team is fueled by the fans, and we believe it is, then their unwavering belief in the inevitability of that moment keeps us believing.
What do you deem to be some of your greatest successes thus far?
Early in my career, I was told there are a lot of people with incredible ideas, but very few that can actually execute on those bold visions. As I think through the projects, I am most proud to have been a part of, everyone was something seemingly impossible, yet it happened. Intuit Dome is a physical representation of dozens of those seemingly impossible projects, all in one beautiful package.
The number of women in front offices of sports teams and/or in sports-related industries is growing. What does that say or mean to you?
Just yesterday, a woman took over the CEO role at an NFL team and the headline was not about her being a woman. In fact, her gender wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the story, exactly as it should be.
