Alaska Airlines to Spotlight Women Executives in Professional Sports at San Diego Women’s Week Leade

Alaska Airlines to Spotlight Women Executives in Professional Sports at San Diego Women’s Week Leadership Conference 
 

San Diego, CA — February 2026 — Some of San Diego’s most influential women in professional sports leadership will take the stage February 27 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn as part of the 17th Annual San Diego Women’s Week Leadership Conference, hosted by the North San Diego Business Chamber. 

Presented in partnership with Alaska Airlines, the featured panel—“Executive Lessons from Women at the Top of Professional Sports”—will bring together C-suite leaders from across the region’s major sports organizations to share insights on leadership, culture, innovation, and decision-making in one of the most competitive and visible industries in the world. 

The conversation will explore what leadership looks like behind the scenes, where performance, brand, community impact, and organizational culture intersect daily. Panelists will discuss managing multimillion-dollar operations, building winning teams off the field, and navigating leadership in traditionally male-dominated environments. 

Attendees will hear from: 

The panel will be moderated by Madeleine Manzano, Head of Brand Marketing: Partnership & Activation at Alaska Airlines, whose work focuses on multi-year brand partnerships, sponsorships, and experiential engagement. 

Conference organizers say the session reflects a broader mission of San Diego Women’s Week: equipping women leaders with practical strategies to grow influence, drive results, and shape the future of leadership across industries. 

“San Diego Women’s Week is about elevating real leadership stories and creating space for meaningful connection and growth,” said Chris Thorne, CEO of the North San Diego Business Chamber. “Bringing together women who are leading at the highest levels of professional sports not only inspires the next generation of leaders—it provides actionable insight into resilience, strategy, and impact that applies far beyond the field.” 

Key themes attendees can expect include high-performance leadership under pressure, building cultures that fuel both team success and business growth, breaking barriers in male-dominated industries, and translating the business of sports into universal leadership strategy. 

San Diego Women’s Week is widely regarded as the region’s premier gathering dedicated to advancing, connecting, and celebrating women leaders. The February 27 Leadership Conference will feature keynote speakers, executive panels, and immersive networking experiences designed to deliver practical tools for career and organizational impact. 

Tickets for the 17th Annual San Diego Women’s Week Leadership Conference remain available at www.sdwomensweek.com.