ZRG Turnkey Strengthens Football Advisory Capabilities with Appointment of Sean Magee
Rochelle Park, NJ — ZRG Turnkey, the global leader in executive search and talent advisory in sports and entertainment, today announced the hiring of Sean Magee as vice president.
Magee brings 15 years of experience across professional and collegiate football, with deep expertise in personnel strategy, talent acquisition, roster construction, roster finance, financial cap modeling and fundraising. He builds sustainable winning. Magee has operated at the highest levels of the sport, most recently serving as Senior Associate AD and General Manager for the University of Michigan football program, where he helped lead a national championship-caliber organization. Prior to Michigan, Magee served as Chief of Staff for the Chicago Bears, acting as a strategic advisor across football operations, and earlier held leadership roles within Michigan Athletics focused on player personnel and program development.
"College and professional football are being reshaped in real time -- by revenue sharing, NIL, the transfer portal, and unprecedented financial and operational complexity," said Chad Chatlos, Managing Partner, ZRG Turnkey, "Sean lived inside that disruption as a senior operator. He understands what it takes to build and sustain winning programs when the rules are changing, and that perspective is exactly what our clients need right now."
“Sean Magee is an exceptionally talented professional who understands how to build championship teams,” shared Mike Macdonald, head coach, Seattle Seahawks, “Having worked with him directly, I have seen his ability to identify elite talent, execute at a high level and align team goals. His addition to ZRG Turnkey is a significant win for the firm and the organizations he will work with.”
At ZRG Turnkey, Magee will work closely with Chatlos and ZRG Turnkey’s industry-leading Coach and General Manager sector, supporting the identification and placement of head coaches and general managers across professional and intercollegiate athletics. In addition, he will help expand the firm’s advisory capabilities, delivering data-driven insights, financial management and operational support to collegiate programs navigating the increasing complexity of NIL, revenue sharing, and the transfer portal.
“Sean brings the rare combination of operator experience and strategic perspective that the market is demanding right now,” said Chad Chatlos, Managing Partner, ZRG Turnkey. “Our clients are not just hiring leaders, they are navigating structural change. Sean has lived that reality and knows how to build within it.”
“Sean is excellent in so many areas and will thrive in this new role. He is an intelligent, strategic thinker who will help organizations and teams achieve at a high level,” said Ryan Poles, General Manager, Chicago Bears.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Magee began his career as a decorated Naval Officer, serving eight years before transitioning into football operations as Director of Player Personnel for Navy. His experience spans both military and elite sports environments, giving him a rigorous, disciplined, team-first approach to team-building and team leadership. He holds an MBA from the College of William & Mary and is widely recognized for his ability to align talent strategy with performance outcomes in complex, hyper-competitive environments.
Magee’s appointment also reflects ZRG’s continued investment in building sector specific advisory teams that combine deep operator experience with the scale, data, and insight of a global talent platform — ensuring clients benefit from both specialized expertise and broader strategic perspective. His appointment reflects ZRG’s continued investment in combining search excellence with real-world operator experience to better serve clients in a rapidly evolving talent landscape.
About ZRG and ZRG Turnkey
ZRG is the fastest-growing talent advisory firm in the world, revolutionizing how companies hire and manage talent. With a data-driven approach to executive and professional search, ZRG is changing the way clients think about finding top talent. The company’s digital Zi platform combines talent intelligence, candidate insights, and process improvements to deliver executive searches more quickly and with proven better results. Backed by private equity investor RFE Investment Partners, ZRG offers a full suite of retained search, on-demand talent, and consulting and advisory solutions across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Australia.
Founded in 1996, ZRG Turnkey was the first-ever talent recruitment firm exclusively dedicated to sports. For the past 30 years, ZRG Turnkey has placed more than 2,000 individuals across all sports at all levels. Recent clients include the NFL and clubs, NFLPA, NBA and clubs, NHL and clubs, MLB and clubs, WHL, MLS and clubs, Premier League and clubs, FIFPRO, USOPC, U.S. Soccer Federation, USTA, PTPA, Formula-1 and race teams, MotoGP, India Basketball League, NCAA, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and the majority of athletic departments in the Power 4. Recent noteworthy placements include the two most recent national Championship coaches in football and basketball, Curt Cignetti and Dusty May.
