The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has reached into the ivy-laden halls of academia to hire a top communications executive to promote the hallowed racing landmark and its events.
Matt MindrumMatt Mindrum, currently the vice president of marketing and communications at Butler University, will hold the same title for IMS when he joins its staff on Sept. 19, the speedway announced Wednesday.
In his new role, Mindrum will replace Jarrod Krisiloff, who recently was named the speedway’s executive director of events. Krisiloff is a grandson of Mari Hulman George, the matriarch of the family that owns Hulman & Co., which in turn owns the IMS and IndyCar open-wheel racing series.
Mindrum’s immediate priorities will be the marketing campaign for the 2017 Indy 500 and partnering with the larger Hulman team to work on the IndyCar series. He ultimately will be responsible for promoting the speedway and all IMS events, including the Indy 500, Brickyard 400 and Red Bull Air Race.
“Matt has both the experience and proven leadership skills necessary to ensure the Indianapolis Motor Speedway continues to grow and excel," said C.J. O’Donnell, chief marketing officer for Hulman Motorsports.
Prior to joining Butler in 2013, Mindrum held several positions at Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co., where he began his career as a sales representative, managed consumer marketing for a multi-billion-dollar franchise, and directed marketing efforts for Lilly’s first product launch in the U.S. Alzheimer’s market.
Mindrum graduated with an MBA from the Harvard Business School in 2007 and a bachelor’s of music from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music in 2005, according to his Linked In profile.
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