USC Gould alumnus John Slusher (JD 1994) heads U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties
The Olympics are coming to Los Angeles in 2028, and John Slusher (JD 1994) oversees raising $7 billion before then. Some might feel that’s a lot of pressure. Not Slusher. He couldn’t be more excited.
“I started Dec. 1, and it’s been an absolute blast!” Slusher said of his role as CEO of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties (USOPP). “I’ve been involved in sports my whole life, and in the business world for the last 26 years, and being a part of the team that’s putting on the biggest sporting event in the history of the world is pretty amazing.”
Slusher leads the commercial joint venture between the LA28 Organizing Committee for the 2028 Games and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Team USA). His main role is overseeing all LA28/USOPC revenue, including domestic partnerships, consumer products, hospitality and ticket sales under LA28 Chairperson and President, Casey Wasserman, a close friend whom Slusher has worked with for years, and alongside LA28 CEO, Reynold Hoover and the LA28 team.
“We joke that my team is in charge of raising $7 billion, and Reynold Hoover is in charge of spending it,” he said. “Business is going incredibly well right now, and it’s fun to see the progress we are making week to week.
“It helps a ton that I walked into an incredible team,” he added. “People are super excited, and they’re here because they want to be a part of something special. I’m really looking forward to seeing this audacious project come to fruition.”
In his previous role as executive vice president of global sports marketing at Nike, Slusher oversaw Nike’s partnerships with 8,000 athletes and 2,000 teams (including USC Athletics). During the pandemic, he helped facilitate a relationship with Keck Medicine of USC, when Nike’s manufacturing facilities pivoted to produce and donate personal protective equipment for caregivers.
Now, after 26 years on the “buy side” with Nike, Slusher said it’s different to be on the “sell side” with LA28/USOPP — but not a big adjustment.
“I’ve found the transition to be pretty smooth. A lot of the skills I developed at USC and as a corporate lawyer — communication skills, relationship building and problem-solving — have done incredibly well for me. That training is a huge part of why I was successful at Nike and has allowed me to do what I’m doing now,” said Slusher, who began his career at O’Melveny & Myers LLP.
His new role brought back memories of another job he had right after graduating from USC Gould. “I did a clerkship with a district judge in Los Angeles, and it was a really cool experience to be on the inside of the legal system and to see how the judicial system works. I think this is similar in some ways — being on the inside and seeing how this incredibly complex global event comes to fruition.”
Coming home to L.A. and USC
Having been in Oregon with Nike, Slusher is glad to be back in Los Angeles, where both he and his wife, Christine Carr (JD 1994), were born and raised. “We are both super excited about being in L.A. Having the Games in such an incredible city means so much to me personally. I vividly remember ’84.”
Being in L.A. will also make it a lot easier to connect with fellow Trojans.
“We’ve stayed connected through reunions, email and texting, and when our business paths have crossed,” he said. “But now, some friends that we saw once every three or four years, we can see a lot more. Our weekends have already been filled reconnecting with good friends.”
Slusher is also excited that USC will play a large part in LA28. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will host part of the Opening Ceremony, as well as the Closing Ceremony, and the Galen Center and other venues will host various events.
In the meantime, LA28 is ramping up from 200 people to over 4,000 plus 70,000 volunteers, and soon after the Games, they will ramp all the way back down.
“So, you know, the circus is coming to town!” Slusher said. “I signed on for four years of delivering these incredible Games, and it’s going to be a ton of work, but I’m really looking forward to the journey.”
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