Francine Melendez Hughes Executive Vice President, Stadium Strategy and External Affairs San Francisco 49ers

Born: New York

Education: Pepperdine University, B.S., business management

Family: Spouse, Daniel J. Hughes Sr.; children, Gabriella Joann (35) and Daniel James Jr. (28)

Why she’s a Game Changer:

Leading Levi’s Stadium through a $200 million renovation, Super Bowl LX and six FIFA World Cup matches, Melendez Hughes has elevated safety, technology, sustainability and the fan experience.

Francine Melendez Hughes was no stranger to high-stakes sports operations when she applied to work for the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, having overseen a major renovation to Dodger Stadium and worked on L.A. Marathon logistics.

But the 49ers and Levi’s Stadium were preparing to do something unprecedented: bidding to host the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup matches in a span of five months. Not to mention a $200 million renovation to the stadium before either event.

“I didn’t really know how much work was going to go into executing both events, so I think I was a little bit scared,” she said. “But at the same time, really excited about the opportunity to do something really special”

All three projects finished to rave reviews under her leadership. She also is executive sponsor of the 49ers’ Latino employee resource group.

She’s driven by the never-ending challenge of improving the live fan experience. “It’s a rush to know you have the ability to really change a person’s perspective on an experience coming into a stadium,” she said. “Once I had a taste of it, I was hooked.”

Recently, Melendez Hughes was given a new title, one that reflects a more strategic, forward-looking role with the stadium: executive vice president of stadium strategy and external affairs. That second part underscores her role working with the stadium owner, the city of Santa Clara, whose relationship with the team has been politically fraught.

The tip to thriving in that environment, she says, is to “not take it personally” as you work through the day-to-day collaboration.

“For me, it’s really important to maintain good relationships,” Melendez Hughes said. “That doesn’t mean there’s not going to be differences of opinion, but it’s just how you work through that. I come to the table with a very open mind and look for areas of compromise.”