Mercer University’s 2013-14 Executive Forum, presented by BB&T, concludes Thursday with a 6:30 p.m. dinner presentation by George Bodenheimer, executive chairman of ESPN, in Hawkins Arena on the Macon campus. The event is co-presented by the Mercer Athletic Foundation in celebration of the most successful year, in terms of both athletic success and financial support for athletics, in the history of the University. 

Sponsored by Cox Communications, Raymond James Financial and Mercer Dining Services, the event is open to Executive Forum members and their invited guests.

Bodenheimer, who recently announced that he will leave ESPN at the end of May, began his 33-year career there as a mailroom driver 16 months after the launch of the network. He became its president 17 years later. Bodenheimer learned the company from the ground up by taking positions in the affiliate sales and marketing department throughout the country, working in Dallas, Chicago, Denver, Bristol and New York.

As the company’s longest-tenured president (1998-2012), he led an unprecedented period of global growth. Bodenheimer oversaw all multimedia sports assets of The Walt Disney Company from March 2003-December 2011.

On Jan. 1, 2012, Bodenheimer became the first executive chairman for ESPN Inc. In that role, he provides strategic direction for ESPN’s global business. Bodenheimer’s path to leadership mirrors that of ESPN itself. He has a sharp focus on creativity and cutting-edge innovation, always enhancing value for sports fans and ESPN’s business partners.

Since Bodenheimer took over as president in 1998, ESPN has grown to eight domestic television networks, 12 HD services, one 3-D network, nearly 100 million households for ESPN and ESPN 2, 48 international television networks, 13 international SportsCenter editions, 18 websites, 750 ESPN Radio affiliates nationwide and 7,000 employees worldwide.