Susan Polakoff Shaw has worked 16 Olympic Games as well as dozens of events around the world, earning her global respect as an expert in press operations, public and media relations.

Event organizers, host committees and sports organizations rely on her counsel and expertise as a problem solver, a reputation that has only grown through her more recent work as a grassroots activist, organizer and leader who was featured in The Atlantic in October, 2020: https://bit.ly/3eFGd9v and in The Washington Post in August, 2023: https://tinyurl.com/5xmn3awh

The International Olympic Committee chose Susan to join its press operations staff for the 2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2008 and 2006 Olympic Games—the only American woman on staff.

In addition to the Olympics, she has managed venue press operations at events, including the New York City Marathon, the Pan American Games and World Championships for many sports. She has managed publicity and press operations for dozens of domestic multi-sport events, including several U.S. Olympic Trials, national championships and U.S. Olympic Festivals.  She contributed to the planning and development of the new U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs.

She planned and managed the first media center at Asics Hall during the 2022 World Athletics Championships. Earlier in 2022, the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Minneapolis and the College Football Playoffs in Indianapolis hired her in last-minute cavalry calls.

At the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, she assisted the President & CEO of the local host committee with special media projects. She continued to demonstrate her versatility when the White House sought her assistance with press operations during two visits to Cleveland by President Obama.

Her experience at the New York City Marathon brought one challenge after another. In 2012, she managed the ever-changing press operations plan resulting from Hurricane Sandy.  Two years earlier, she organized a press conference featuring Chilean miner Edison (“The Runner”) Peña, for 200 international media in less than 48 hours. She was called on to manage the media coverage of another major sports story in 2007, this time with only one week to go before the start of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) v. Floyd Landis hearing at Pepperdine University. The nine-day arbitration was the first time a USADA hearing was open to the media.

Specialties: Press operations, public and media relations, large event management, team building, rabble rousing, political activism.

Susan Polakoff Shaw has worked 16 Olympic Games as well as dozens of events around the world, earning her global respect as an expert in press operations, public and media relations. Event organizers, host committees and sports organizations rely on her counsel and expertise as a problem solver, a reputation that has only grown through her more recent work as a grassroots activist, organizer and leader who was featured in The Atlantic in October, 2020: https://bit.ly/3eFGd9v and in The Washington Post in August, 2023: https://tinyurl.com/5xmn3awh The International Olympic Committee chose Susan to join its press operations staff for the 2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2008 and 2006 Olympic Games—the only American woman on staff. In addition to the Olympics, she has managed venue press operations at events, including the New York City Marathon, the Pan American Games and World Championships for many sports. She has managed publicity and press operations for dozens of domestic multi-sport events, including several U.S. Olympic Trials, national championships and U.S. Olympic Festivals.  She contributed to the planning and development of the new U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs. She planned and managed the first media center at Asics Hall during the 2022 World Athletics Championships. Earlier in 2022, the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Minneapolis and the College Football Playoffs in Indianapolis hired her in last-minute cavalry calls. At the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, she assisted the President & CEO of the local host committee with special media projects. She continued to demonstrate her versatility when the White House sought her assistance with press operations during two visits to Cleveland by President Obama. Her experience at the New York City Marathon brought one challenge after another. In 2012, she managed the ever-changing press operations plan resulting from Hurricane Sandy.  Two years earlier, she organized a press conference featuring Chilean miner Edison (“The Runner”) Peña, for 200 international media in less than 48 hours. She was called on to manage the media coverage of another major sports story in 2007, this time with only one week to go before the start of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) v. Floyd Landis hearing at Pepperdine University. The nine-day arbitration was the first time a USADA hearing was open to the media. Specialties: Press operations, public and media relations, large event management, team building, rabble rousing, political activism.