Sherrie Deans

Former Chief Operating Officer, National Basketball Players Association

With extensive experience in the nonprofit sector and various aspects of financial services, Sherrie Deans is a strategic change agent whose strong communication and interpersonal skills have solidified her reputation as an expert organization builder and connector of productive relationships.

As the former Executive Director for the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation, Sherrie led the philanthropic efforts of the Union and supported the individual efforts of the 450 NBA players that make up its membership. Under her leadership, the Foundation, with assets of $40 million, built a grant portfolio that stretched across the United States and 20 countries overseas. She launched a philanthropic certificate program specifically for NBA players at UCLA and serves on the Board of Governors at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

In May 2020, when COVID-19 upended the NBA’s 2019-2020 season, and the nation was grappling with the racial turmoil that was sparked by the killing of George Floyd, Sherrie was appointed COO of the NBPA to help navigate the Union through the pandemic and coordinate its efforts to resume the season while addressing the social justice issues of the time. What resulted was one of the most dynamic and socially integrated seasons in the history of sports. From “Black Lives Matter” on the court and social justice messages on player jerseys to “Get out the vote” efforts that led to 51 voting spots during primetime televised games and a 96% voter registration rate among the players, the response was unprecedented.

Before making the leap to nonprofit work, Sherrie began her career in the financial services sector, where she spent over a decade working at several of the world’s largest financial institutions. At AIG Consumer Finance, she was responsible for maximizing consumer sales and developing new distribution channels in ten countries throughout Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. She has also held various senior management positions in Marketing, Strategies, and Operations at American Express and MBNA America.

Sherrie holds a B.A. in economics and political science from Columbia University. She currently lives in the Bronx with her husband and two sons.