President, Milwaukee Bucks

By Laine Higgins 

This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (April 20, 2019).

Peter Feigin

President, Milwaukee Bucks

When Peter Feigin was named president of the Milwaukee Bucks in October 2014 by the team's new owners, sports fans and pundits in Wisconsin regarded the self-described "fast-talking New York sales guy" with skepticism.

Though Mr. Feigin previously worked in the National Basketball Association as a marketing executive for the New York Knicks in the early 2000s, his most recent post was running operations at Marquis Jet Partners, a private-jet company owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Since Mr. Feigin arrived in Milwaukee, he oversaw construction of a new arena downtown with materials sourced 90% from Wisconsin. He approached the 51-year-old franchise "like a startup" and built a culture of collaboration by asking his 330 full-time and 1,000 part-time employees, "How can you have empathy, how can you collaborate, how can you be a great teammate?"

During his tenure, the Bucks have gone from perennial Eastern Conference cellar-dwellers to having the best win-loss record in the NBA this year. These days, Mr. Feigin is probably the second-most recognizable figure in the Bucks universe behind "the Greek Freak," 6-foot-11-inch forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Mr. Feigin credits his rise in Milwaukee to his high-powered work ethic, something he says he learned from his parents. "The best advice I've ever gotten is just work your butt off," he said. "If you've got a modicum of intelligence, you're going to do well. But the way you can differentiate yourself is you can always control outworking people."

Here, four trusted advisers:

Barbara Feigin

Mother and former director of strategic services at Grey Advertising Inc.

Mr. Feigin regards his mother as the chairwoman of his personal board for teaching him the importance of perseverance by example. A World War II refugee from Nazi Germany, Mrs. Feigin went on to graduate from Harvard Business School's joint program with Radcliffe Graduate School before women were directly admitted to the Ivy League university. While rising through the ranks at Madison Avenue firm Grey Advertising, she "never missed" her three sons' frequent basketball and soccer games. She encouraged her sons to be curious, another trait Mr. Feigin says his mother exemplifies, and peppers him on everything from business strategy to life updates on their near-daily Facetime calls.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks forward

Nicknamed "the Greek Freak" for his otherworldly dunking abilities and his 7-foot-3-inch wingspan, Mr. Antetokounmpo is the Bucks president's go-to for understanding the pulse of the team, something Mr. Feigin says is crucial to creating a winning organizational culture. "He's got an acute understanding from a superstar's perspective on the impact he has on the business and the city of Milwaukee." The All-Star forward is speedy on the court -- and at processing information, Mr. Feigin says. "He's a person you could have a two-minute conversation with and achieve what you are looking for."

Herb Kohl

Former Milwaukee Bucks owner and former U.S. senator

A proud Wisconsinite, Mr. Kohl taught Mr. Feigin, a native New Yorker, about the culture of Milwaukee and the importance of loyalty in the Midwest. "He's got this overwhelming love for the city of Milwaukee," said Mr. Feigin of the former Bucks owner who donated $100 million of his personal fortune to fund a new arena downtown that helped keep the franchise in the city despite its small-market status. "That has been really helpful for me to navigate politically, helpful to navigate socially." Mr. Kohl now imparts advice at the pair's monthly lunches and dinners. "It's real, sage wisdom with nothing attached other than just trying to help."

Malcolm Lee

Director and producer

Mr. Feigin says he, his identical twin brother, Daniel, and Mr. Lee have been "kind of inseparable" since meeting in fourth grade. "We're kind of like soulmates in that we root for each other in a big way to succeed." Now a Hollywood director known for movies like "Girls Trip" and "Night School," Mr. Lee gives the Bucks president advice on brand positioning. "What makes him special and differentiates him is he's just that insightful, creative storyteller that understands audience and business."

Write to Laine Higgins at laine.higgins@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 20, 2019 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A)
Historical Stock Chart
From Feb 2024 to Mar 2024 Click Here for more Berkshire Hathaway Charts.
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2023 to Mar 2024 Click Here for more Berkshire Hathaway Charts.