COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association has named George Taylor its Chief Executive Officer.
Taylor is a former executive with Caterpillar, where he was most recently a company officer and vice president with responsibility for the Marketing & Digital Division. Taylor takes over for Karl Stressman, who retired as PRCA Commissioner after nine years at the helm. Taylor will begin his job as PRCA’s CEO on Jan. 22.
“I’m honored and humbled to have the opportunity to lead an organization with the history and the brand recognition of the PRCA,” Taylor said. “It’s a dream for me to be involved and I couldn’t be more excited about the future potential for our membership and the PRCA team.”
Over his 19 years with Caterpillar, Taylor, 56, also served as Chief Marketing Officer and President of Caterpillar Venture Capital, where he and his team drove enterprise brand, innovation and digital transformations for the industry-leading Fortune 50 Company.
Before working for Caterpillar, Taylor had extensive executive experience with IBM. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Illinois and a B.S. in Computer Science from Illinois State University.
“I have had the opportunity to work for two iconic global companies during my career and I believe the PRCA is yet another example of an iconic organization representing the best in the sports and entertainment industry,” Taylor said.
Taylor has built a reputation as a big-picture thinker who can manage and inspire people on a day-to-day basis. He’s also known for his positive attitude and forward thinking, and he’s keenly aware of how digital solutions impact customers and business.
Among his early goals, Taylor wants to hear from PRCA members.
“First of all, I am going to spend time listening to the membership of the PRCA and the staff to prioritize initiatives that will move us forward,” Taylor said. “Secondly, I think that we need to physically and digitally innovate both the customer and member experiences. We have to keep advancing our sport to drive fan and membership engagement. Leveraging digital technologies and rodeo content will be an important aspect of that. Lastly, PRCA needs to continue to expand rodeo’s reach to increase our fan base and deliver the Western lifestyle experience around the globe. In the end, it’s about continuing to grow revenue and the PRCA ProRodeo brand for the benefit of its members.”
There are many in the rodeo community scratching their heads as the new CEO of the PRCA is not said to have any experience in the rodeo arena. Reactions on social media are mixed. Many feel that the head of the PRCA should know the sport inside and out. Others feel that an outsider from the sport of rodeo might just be the ticket to solve the issues that have plagued the association for decades.
Keith Martin, the Chairman of the PRCA Board of Directors, praised the hiring of Taylor.
“George’s business acumen and his ability to work with so many different types of people are going to be really strong attributes, because in our organization that’s really needed,” Martin said. “We appreciate his financial, digital and marketing strengths, and those things all enter into being a good fit for us, taking us into the next century. His communication skills are excellent, and I think that’s needed so much in our organization. Karl (Stressman) did a great job and left us in good shape, and the whole PRCA Board helped that endeavor. This is taking us to the next level.”
Before moving to Colorado Springs, Taylor and his wife, Chris, were living in Snowmass, Colo., where they enjoyed numerous outdoor activities, including hiking, biking
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