Sharks VP Neda Tabatabaie Receives SVBJ Women of Influence Award

SAN JOSE, CA - Neda Tabatabaie, Vice President, Business Intelligence for the San Jose Sharks, has been selected by the Silicon Valley Business Journal to receive its Women of Influence Award for 2019. The Women of Influence award honors and celebrates the 100 most influential women in Silicon Valley. Honorees have been selected from the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Tabatabaie will be recognized at an awards dinner to take place Thursday, May 16 at the Fairmont Hotel in Downtown San Jose.
In her fourth season with the Sharks, Tabatabaie, an Iranian-born Canadian, is responsible for developing, implementing, and guiding the overall business strategy initiatives for the organization using data and analytics. Her work has helped the organization better identify and understand the ever-changing needs of its fan base and customers.

Under her guidance, the organization has introduced new technology to support the Sharks sales team, allowing team members to provide better customer service to fans. Additionally, she has been instrumental in establishing an enhanced dynamic pricing system utilized by the team. Her work has led to the rescaling and adjustment of pricing in the SAP Center bowl, enabling the Sharks to offer a wider variety of price points to appeal to more fans with diverse budgets.
"The Sharks organization is dedicated to being a pioneer in the sports and entertainment industry with innovative concepts that challenge the status quo," said Jonathan Becher, President of the San Jose Sharks. "Since joining the Sharks, Neda has leveraged her deep understanding of analytics to help improve our business operations and better engage with our fans. On behalf of the entire Sharks organization, I would like to congratulate Neda on this outstanding achievement."
Supporting and contributing to the growth and development of women in the workplace, primarily in the sports industry, is something in which Tabatabaie is extremely passionate. As such, she initiated the Sharks Women's Network, a group for female employees at Sharks Sports & Entertainment to network and support each other's professional development. On March 28, 2019, Tabatabaie initiated the first ever "Women of Teal" night at SAP Center, a night to celebrate and recognize women's leadership in the workplace. The evening offered an opportunity for networking as well as a panel discussion featuring several top female executives in Silicon Valley. All event attendees were invited to watch the Sharks take on the Chicago Blackhawks immediately afterward.
In the community, Neda actively serves as a board member for several local non-profit organizations including the Sharks Foundation, WiST (Women in Sports Tech), and the San Jose Downtown Association and serves as a mentor, with Sports Tech Tokyo.