Founded in 1974 by Billie Jean King, the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) has been working for over 51 years to advance the lives of women and girls through sports and physical activity. This year – during a moment when women’s sports fandom and growth is soaring – the nonprofit is entering a new era by expanding the organization’s C-suite and bringing on a Chief Communications Officer for the first time. Filling the role is Meg Rushton, a seasoned communications executive whose career has spanned beauty, advertising, and purpose-driven brand strategy – but never women’s sports, until now.
Rushton’s outsider perspective is exactly the point.
“I might be a surprising hire,” Rushton admits. “But I think I represent the new wave of audiences now paying attention to women’s sports. My job is to translate, to build bridges, and to help the Foundation tell its story to the world.”
Bringing Big-Brand Playbooks To Women’s Sports
Rushton arrives at WSF after nearly two decades shaping communications across industries. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Company Brand and Purpose at Estée Lauder Companies, where she was responsible for defining the company’s reputation and advancing gender equity as a core pillar of its global identity. Before that, she held multiple senior leadership roles at the Ad Council, including Senior Vice President of Brand Communications.
From those roles, she brings critical expertise in brand-building, audience segmentation, and purpose-driven marketing; all skills that the women’s sports industry needs as it experiences a historic surge in viewership, investment, and cultural relevance.
“Every successful brand knows its story isn’t just about profit, it’s about purpose,” Rushton says. “Sports are no different. Women’s sports aren’t only entertainment. They’re a vehicle for social change, public health, and leadership development.”
Elevating The Foundation’s Legacy
With media coverage of women’s sports reaching all-time highs and a wave of new professional leagues popping up in the last five years, Rushton’s appointment signals WSF’s intent to capitalize on the industry’s momentum. As Chief Communications Officer, Rushton’s mission is clear: to elevate the visibility of the Foundation, sharpen its narrative, and ensure its 51-year legacy is recognized for the foundation it’s laid to enable today’s women’s sports boom.
“People see record-breaking ratings and brands rushing to invest, but it’s not an accident. This moment exists because of decades of advocacy, research, and grants funded by the Women’s Sports Foundation,” said Rushton. “So much of today’s momentum is the fulfillment of WSF’s vision from the very beginning.”
Rushton’s addition to the WSF leadership team signals the Foundation’s next stage of growth as a platform advancing the case for women’s and girls’ sport participation at all levels as a catalyst for developing future leaders, better health outcomes, and cultural and economic progress. WSF’s core focus areas of protecting Title IX, supporting girls’ participation in sports, and investing in athletes from the grassroots to the elite level have laid the foundation for the growth seen unfolding in women’s sports today. For Rushton, success will mean every stakeholder in the sports industry knows the Women’s Sports Foundation story.
“Our goal at the Women’s Sports Foundation is very simple, yet very ambitious. It’s to get more girls playing, to get more women leading, and to get more equity at every single level of sport,” said Rushton.
New Era, Same Core Mission
As the Women’s Sports Foundation enters this pivotal next chapter, Rushton’s appointment underscores both the organization’s legacy and its future ambitions. With a communications leader steeped in brand storytelling and purpose-driven strategy, WSF is poised to expand its reach and relevance in an era when women’s sports are commanding unprecedented attention.
“Meg’s leadership will be instrumental as we coalesce the public and private sectors, sharpen our voice, broaden our reach, and accelerate our impact in a way that will activate new audiences and bold new investments,” said WSF CEO, Danette Leighton, in a press release announcing Rushton’s appointment.
Together, the Foundation’s seasoned leadership and its new Chief Communications Officer are charting a path to ensure that WSF not only continues to fuel the growth of women’s sports, but also amplifies its role as a catalyst for equity, opportunity, and cultural change for decades to come.