The Leader’s Advocate™.
A New York firm representing a small number of senior leaders for a select set of professional franchises, athletic departments, and leagues. Bespoke representation and permanent placement.
We represent the leader.
Most firms in this category work for the franchise. They are paid by the buyer to fill the role fast. We invert that. Northgate™ works for the leader, who is the rarer asset and the one whose career carries the longest tail.
The work is bespoke representation and permanent placement. Not interim. A partner leads the conversation from the first private call to the signed offer, and your name does not leave this office without your written sign-off.
We represent leaders across the arc of their careers, from rising executives to head coaches, general managers, athletic directors, team presidents, and league executives.
The first conversation is private. There is no obligation on either side.
Where we work.
The organizations that engage the firm for leadership searches. From franchise front offices to athletic departments, every search runs through the season calendar and the owner’s box.
- i Professional Sports Franchises
- ii Collegiate Athletic Departments
- iii Professional Leagues
- iv National Federations
- v Olympic Sports Bodies
- vi Sports Media Networks
- vii Player Development Organizations
What we practice.
Everything the firm takes on arrives as one of these engagements. Each is personal, runs in confidence, and moves on the search’s own clock.
- Permanent Search
- Confidential, personally led searches for head coaches, general managers, presidents of business operations, athletic directors, and league executives. Each engagement runs its own clock; none are accelerated to fit an off-season window.
- Leadership Assessment
- Structured evaluation of finalists for senior sport-leadership roles. Used during active searches to surface fit beyond the resume and the record, and engaged stand-alone by franchises and departments evaluating internal succession.
- Succession Planning
- Multi-year advisory engagements for franchises and athletic departments facing leadership transition. Pipeline development before a head coach or athletic director seat opens, with a written succession point of view.
- Board & Trustee Advisory
- Composition guidance for franchise ownership groups, athletic boards of trustees, and league governance bodies seeking leadership at the director level.
The fields we work in.
The disciplines where we spend most of our hours. If your work sits adjacent to this list, write anyway. The door is the same.
- Head Coaches
- Professional, Collegiate
- General Managers
- Player operations, Roster building
- Athletic Directors
- Power conference, Division I
- Team Presidents
- Business operations, Multi-team
- League Executives
- Commissioner office, Conference leadership
- Front Office Leadership
- Player development, Analytics, Strategy
- Collegiate Athletics
- NCAA, Conference
- National Federations
- Olympic sport governance, USOPC
- Sports Media & Networks
- Programming, Rights
- Ownership & Governance
- Franchise boards, Trustees
When you are ready to make a move,
you need the right people in your corner.