The Los Angeles Lakers have hired Yao Williams II as Vice President and Head of Global Partnerships, the club announced on January 23, 2025.
Williams will oversee the organization’s global partnerships unit, which manages partnership sales, business solutions and activation. His mandate includes driving new revenue streams and developing programs and platforms aimed at enhancing the Lakers’ worldwide brand value.
“I couldn’t be more excited to have Yao Williams join the Lakers business and lead our global partnership team,” Lakers President of Business Operations Lon Rosen said in a written statement. “Yao is an engaging leader with an appetite for innovation that will help drive performance and deliver best-in-class experiences for Lakers partners.”
The incoming executive brings more than two decades of experience in sports and entertainment sponsorships. His résumé features roles with the National Basketball Association, Manchester City Football Club and, most recently, Elevate Sports Ventures, where he co-led global partnerships. Throughout his career, Williams has secured large-scale domestic and international deals while guiding high-performing sales teams.
Williams earned his undergraduate degree from Miami University in Ohio and holds a master’s in sports management from Cleveland State University.
Front-office expansion continues
The addition of Williams is part of a broader offseason restructuring under majority owner Mark Walter. The Lakers have outlined plans to expand scouting and medical departments, upgrade team facilities and reorganize several business operations, moves that have included selected staff reductions.
Earlier in the offseason, the franchise filled one of two new assistant general manager positions by hiring Rohan Ramadas as assistant GM of strategy and data systems. Ramadas, a former rocket guidance engineer for The Aerospace Corporation, the U.S. Space Force and NASA, spent nine seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, most recently as vice president of strategy and basketball operations. He previously served as a draft analyst for the Miami Heat.
The Lakers have not yet announced a timetable for naming a second assistant general manager.
Source: LakersNation.com
