TurnkeyZRG Recruits CEO for the Heisman Trophy Trust
October 14, 2025 – TurnkeyZRG has assisted in the recruitment of Jeff Price as the inaugural CEO of the Heisman Trophy Trust. Len Perna and Rick Alessandri led the assignment. A seasoned sports industry leader with more than 35 years of experience, Mr. Price will steward the legacy of the Heisman Trophy while spearheading a new chapter of commercial growth and philanthropic impact. He was selected after a comprehensive, national executive search process led by TurnkeyZRG. Mr. Price’s appointment is the result of a recent decision by the Heisman Trust’s board to pursue even greater levels of philanthropic impact by driving new revenue growth in today’s rapidly changing college sports landscape.
“It’s been a true honor to work with the Heisman Trophy Trust,” said Mr. Perna. “The Heisman Trophy is the best-known awards in sports. And Jeff Price is the ideal executive to be its first CEO. Building out the Heisman commercial platform will translate into even more philanthropic impact, which is a unique and exciting proposition.”
“Jeff Price is a visionary executive whose career has been defined by driving innovation, building transformative partnerships, and expanding opportunity for young people through sports,” said Michael Comerford, chairman of the board of the Heisman Trophy Trust. “As we mark 90+ years of history, the board felt strongly that it was the right moment to bring on a CEO who could build on our proud tradition while charting a new and exciting course for the future. Jeff brings decades of strategic and commercial leadership as well as a deep commitment to the philanthropic mission that defines the Trust. With him at the helm, we are confident the Heisman legacy will reach new heights—on the field, in our commercial endeavors, and in the lives of young people across the country.”
Mr. Price joins the Trust from the PGA of America, where he serves as chief commercial and philanthropy officer, overseeing enterprise-wide initiatives that align revenue, brand, and purpose. During his 11+ years, he has grown partnership revenue exponentially, expanded global media relationships with CBS, ESPN, NBC and global broadcasters across 180+ countries, spearheaded the creation of the Ryder Cup Worldwide Partner Program and completed a $65 million campaign supporting the PGA of America REACH Foundation. Mr. Price has held senior leadership roles across the global sports landscape including Sporting News Media, Sports Illustrated, MasterCard, Gatorade, the Big 12 Conference, and the NBA, consistently delivering growth and measurable impact.
“The Heisman Trophy is one of the most prestigious brands in sports, symbolizing perseverance, teamwork, and excellence,” Mr. Price said. “I am honored to lead this extraordinary organization and to advance its mission of using the power of sports to change lives—especially for youth in underserved communities. The Trust’s philanthropic work deeply aligns with my values and lifelong commitment to expanding opportunities for young people.”
“As the Trust celebrates 90+ years of history, I see tremendous opportunity to both honor its proud tradition and chart an ambitious future,” Mr. Price added. “Working closely with the board, our dedicated staff, and the legendary group of Heisman winners, I look forward to expanding the Trust’s reach, creating new partnerships, and ensuring that the Heisman legacy continues to inspire generations on and off the field.”
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The Heisman Trophy Trust’s mission is to grow the legacy and preserve the integrity of the Heisman Memorial Trophy, which is annually awarded to the most outstanding college football player in the United States whose performance epitomizes great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. The Trust draws on the Heisman Trophy’s legacy of athletic excellence to support and fund youth development programs in underserved communities, granting millions of dollars annually to programs that employ sports and education to provide young people with academic support, athletic development, life skills training, and opportunities for healthy activities rooted in the values of the Heisman.
Specialized Search Firm
Founded in 1996, TurnkeyZRG is a specialized talent recruitment/executive search firm filling C-level, senior-level and mid-management-level positions throughout sports, media and entertainment. Over the past 25 years, the firm has filled more than 1,400 positions. TurnkeyZRG helps teams, leagues, stadiums, arenas, theaters, college athletic departments, events, sponsors, agencies, media companies, private equity companies and other clients identify, recruit, and hire the best management talent.
Mr. Perna is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Turnkey. He has 30-plus years’ experience in the sports and entertainment industry, with senior-level management experience in sales, event marketing and management, sponsorships, venue feasibility and development, facility operations, licensing, and legal affairs. Since founding Turnkey, Mr. Perna has managed over 1,400 executive searches.
The media & sports tech practice is led by Mr. Alessandri, with 30+ years’ experience in the industry. He has more than 30 years of experience in the executive search industry. He oversees talent recruitment/executive search for media, digital and tech companies, as well as for non-media entities including leagues, teams, venues, events, and tours looking to build their in-house content creation and production capabilities. Mr. Alessandri joined TurnkeyZRG in 2018 to help launch and grow Turnkey’s media and tech search division.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
