Sophie Hauptfuhrer
Los Angeles,CA
Summary
I work with culture-shaping companies at pivotal moments: reinvention, crisis, and expansion into what's next. I'm a trusted C-suite partner who quickly decodes complex organizations and mobilizes change where others get stuck. I bridge corporate and creative strategy, stepping into creative direction when needed to make transformation real.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Sabbatical
N/A
Los Angeles, CA
01.2025 - Current
- Intentional sabbatical for professional development and select advisory work (LA Olympics 2028); completed Harvard Business School's General Management Program.
President, Brand & Innovation Lab
Live Nation Entertainment
04.2022 - 01.2025
- Founded and led Live Nation's Brand & Innovation Lab, building a 15-person cross-division team spanning Concerts, Sponsorship, Ticketing, Digital, New Business, and Venue Development. Owned P&L and managed a ~$20M budget.
- Served as a C-suite and board-facing operator; supported the CEO in key partnership meetings; regularly developed board-level presentations and strategic narratives; and spoke at leadership conferences.
- Built and ran Live Nation's global venue concepting and development system, creating the standards, governance, and rollout engine to brand and evolve venue experiences worldwide; flagship work included the 200+ amphitheater network rebrand.
- Led enterprise brand transformation, including the Live Nation corporate rebrand, aligning executives across divisions and translating strategy into scalable creative systems.
- Drove new growth platforms across the ecosystem: developed and acquired new products/brands (incl. F&B), launched a new digital loyalty program, and led redevelopment of the Live Nation app.
- Developed crisis management and executive communications for high-visibility issues, including the Taylor Swift/Ticketmaster ticketing controversy.
- Spearheaded brand communications and brand storytelling, including the 'On the Road Again' campaign with Willie Nelson, and marketing campaigns for concerts / venues resulting in 30%+ YoY revenue growth.
Principal (Contract)
FNDR
Remote
01.2021 - 12.2021
- Advised founders and C-suite leaders at the Series B/C stage on positioning, narrative architecture, and investor storytelling; supporting high-stakes decisions across fundraising, expansion, and repositioning.
- Led strategy engagements for high-growth and culturally relevant companies including Patreon, Carwow, Live Nation, and Hopium, aligning brand purpose with business strategy across new categories, markets, and product lines.
Senior Director
Redscout
New York, NY
09.2019 - 01.2021
- Led repositioning and transformation work for legacy and growth brands navigating relevance, category shifts, and inflection-point decisions: bridging research, cultural insight, and strategy into clear platforms for action.
- Drove new product development from opportunity identification through concept definition and go-to-market framing, translating insight into buildable, differentiated offerings.
- Directed cross-functional teams across research, insights, and creative development to deliver brand systems and launch-ready narratives for American Eagle, Orum (acquired by Stripe), Ouidad, and Designer Brands.
Brand Strategy
SoulCycle Inc. / Equinox Media
New York, NY
08.2018 - 09.2019
- Led market entry strategy for SoulCycle London, conducting deep-dive customer, competitor, and cultural research to tailor brand positioning and studio experience for a new market.
- Drove strategy for the SoulCycle At-Home Bike, shaping product features and translating the in-studio class format into a compelling digital experience.
- Transitioned to Equinox Media to oversee strategy for the at-home fitness content portfolio, spanning Precision Run, Rumble, Pure Yoga, and additional modalities; aligning programming, brand, and audience growth priorities.
Executive Strategy Director
Havas New York / Annex88
New York, NY
05.2017 - 07.2018
- Retained post-acquisition to lead strategy across Havas NYC and Annex88, overseeing 40+ brand, comms, and experience strategists.
- Led integrated brand and communications strategy for marquee clients and complex portfolios such as TD Ameritrade and Reckitt Benckiser; guided multi-channel work across brand, digital, and experience.
- Key contributor to new business, shaping pitch strategy, narrative, and win plans.
Partner, Head of Strategy
The 88
New York, NY
05.2014 - 05.2017
- Founded and led the strategy discipline; helped scale the agency from ~5 to ~60 people and built a 15-person strategy + analytics team.
- Drove brand positioning and culturally resonant campaign strategy for clients including MSA's with Coca-Cola, Adidas, Bloomingdale's and L'Oreal.
Account Executive
Anomaly
New York, NY
06.2013 - 05.2014
- Supported Budweiser's global 2014 FIFA World Cup (Brazil) campaign execution-coordinating 13 partner agencies and managing versioning/localization across multiple markets and languages.
Education
General Management Program - enterprise leadership, strategy, finance, leadership and organizational behavior, marketing, operations, negotiation, decision-making
Harvard Business School
Boston, MA11-2025
BA - Social and Political Sciences
University of Cambridge
UK01.2010
Skills
- Brand strategy
- C-suite / board advisory
- New products & growth
- Crisis communication
- Cultural strategy
- Global market expansion
Timeline
Sabbatical
N/A
01.2025 - Current
President, Brand & Innovation Lab
Live Nation Entertainment
04.2022 - 01.2025
Principal (Contract)
FNDR
01.2021 - 12.2021
Senior Director
Redscout
09.2019 - 01.2021
Brand Strategy
SoulCycle Inc. / Equinox Media
08.2018 - 09.2019
Executive Strategy Director
Havas New York / Annex88
05.2017 - 07.2018
Partner, Head of Strategy
The 88
05.2014 - 05.2017
Account Executive
Anomaly
06.2013 - 05.2014
General Management Program - enterprise leadership, strategy, finance, leadership and organizational behavior, marketing, operations, negotiation, decision-making
Harvard Business School
BA - Social and Political Sciences
University of Cambridge