Chris McFarlane | Deputy Athletics Director | UCF - One Question Leadership Podcast

Sep 8, 2024

@1QLeadership Question: Do the titles given during your career define your underlying skillset?

Chris McFarlane is the Deputy Athletics Director for External Relations and Business Development at UCF. At a quick glance, his career arc would have him labeled as a fundraiser. With further study, McFarlane's career is actually rooted in building programs.

• Hired to lead an athletics fundraising office in his mid-20s
• Purposely stepped away from a leadership role after successfully building a couple of fundraising programs
• Recent appointment leans into his program building skill while using aspects of his fundraising experience

McFarlane continues to rely on the skills developed while working as a fundraiser but has always known that his superpower is building sustainable programs that help athletics departments focus on executing their purpose for existing. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown