Jessi Miley-Dyer has been named the new commissioner of World Surf League (WSL), becoming the league’s first woman commissioner. The former professional surfer made her announcement during Sportico and SheMedia’s “Winning: Women & Sports” event, marking a significant step forward in gender equity within the sports industry.
Miley-Dyer has been a strong advocate for equal prize money, positioning WSL as the first North American sports league to implement this policy. During her announcement, she emphasized the importance of recognizing the financial potential in supporting female athletes and leagues. She highlighted recent investments made in WSL and women’s sports in general, stressing that women’s sports are not a charity but rather a high-yielding investment opportunity when given the proper support.
Miley-Dyer’s promotion to WSL commissioner marks a significant milestone in her career, especially with the removal of “chief of sport” from her social media accounts sparking rumors among surfing fans. Born in Sydney, Australia, Miley-Dyer became the first to hold the WSL commissioner title since Kieren Perrow’s departure in 2019. Having joined WSL in 2012, she has taken on various roles within the organization and is now focused on using creative storytelling and engaging content to promote the league.
As part of WSL’s ongoing leadership changes, former Riot Games president of publishing Ryan Crosby recently assumed the role of CEO. These transitions come in the wake of Erik Logan’s sudden departure from the league last year. Additionally, an exciting media rights deal with ESPN was agreed upon earlier this year, which will see ESPN+ streaming men’s and women’s championship tour competitions. The appointment of Jessi Miley-Dyer as the new commissioner signals a new era for WSL, with a strong emphasis on gender equity and innovative approaches to growing surfing.
Miley-Dyer is making history as she takes up her new role at WSL after serving as chief of sport for dual-gender league for some time now. During her tenure at WSL, she advocated strongly for equal prize money for male and female surfers alike before being promoted to commissioner.
The promotion of Jessi Miley-Dyer marks a significant milestone for women’s sports as it brings more representation into one of world’s most popular extreme sports leagues. Her promotion is seen as a positive move towards achieving gender equality within sports industry.
The appointment also comes after several leadership changes at WSL following Erik Logan’s sudden departure last year. In addition to Miley-Dyer’s promotion to commissioner, former Riot Games president of publishing Ryan Crosby recently assumed