Fresh Faces 2024: Jillian Waitkus

Jillian Waitkus is the director of ticket, hospitality, and event sales for Churchill Downs Racetrack, the home of the Kentucky Derby. She's based in Louisville, Ky. A quote from her nomination: "Jillian has played a key role in managing over 80 annual race days and hundreds of special events, including major corporate conventions and weddings. Her innovative approach and dedication to excellence make her a prime candidate."

How she spends her workdays: "Just like every professional in the events or sports industry, no two days are truly the same. There isn’t much (if any) downtime or off-season. Planning for the next year’s Kentucky Derby starts the Sunday after that first Saturday in May. I oversee ticket sales and service for all our non-Derby race days along with the special event sales team that facilitates our venue rentals for 350 to 400 events each year. Most people are surprised to find out that we have 70 other race days and hundreds of event rentals. Our race meets and event season begin right after Derby, so the rest of the year is really a sprint.

My job is to bring the magic and spirit of Derby Day to the track every single day. Most of my time is spent spearheading new sales initiatives, strategizing with our powerhouse of a sales leadership team, connecting with my Day at Race squad on how I can help them show up as their best selves, and collaborating with our trackwide departments on how we can evolve and improve our guest experience. On the best days, I’m hosting site visits of our beautiful, newly improved 1 million-square-foot facility. We offer 50-plus event spaces, which means curating a tour route with surprises unique to Churchill Downs along the way for each client. I love sharing what makes our venue special, teaching out-of-towners about our Louisville traditions, and determining how we can tailor an experience that makes each moment at the track just as exciting as The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.

At the end of the day, I’m in my position because of my passion for live events and the city of Louisville. I strive to bring that energy into every conversation and touchpoint that I have—whether that’s on site or out in the world."

Impact she hopes to have on the industry: "This is a big question and I love it! My career journey started in Minor League Baseball. I learned to work with a lean team, limited resources, and the necessity to be agile in what I do. At Churchill Downs, we’re one of the most iconic brands and events in the entire world—and yet, that’s not without its own challenges (hello, construction on capital improvements!). These opportunities have brought adversity upon me that never have crumbled me.

How I’d like to contribute to the industry is by building success stories through resilience. As a one of the first women to hold a leadership position in one of my previous roles, I’ve battled through an immense amount of imposter syndrome and perfectionism. I want to display through my work that adversity is a gift, and it’s not a matter of if it comes, but when. I want to continue to do hard things, take chances, and not be afraid to fail. Finding meaning in the chaos is a virtue that all professionals in our industry should live by."

Career goals: "The opportunity to make an impact has always been the leading driver for me when I’ve made career decisions. When I was earlier on in my career, I was just hungry to prove myself. I inherited my dad’s work ethic, which means I don’t do anything half-baked. It’s important to me to continue to drastically develop in every chapter of my career and remain open-minded, as who I am professionally and personally continuously changes. There’s no satisfaction quite like looking back on where you wanted to be and realizing you’re living in that moment you wished for now and have so much more left to discover and look forward to.

In five years, I see myself fulfilled and seeking growth each day, regardless of where my career takes me. Maybe I’ll be a VP, an entrepreneur, or a career coach. God willing, I’ll be a wife and mom who is still kicking butt in the corporate world too."

Advice for her peers: "Three values that are very important to me are coachability, adaptability, and accountability. Being able to ask for and take tough feedback, adjust how you will approach in the future, admitting when you can do better, and follow through has gotten me further personally and professionally than any skill developed or goal earned ever has. I’d encourage those who are early on in their journey or looking to break into the events or sports industry to stay curious, stay open, and, most importantly, stay kind to yourself.

In your events work, the best action you can take is setting and managing expectations. I instill this in our team to set themselves up for success and overdeliver. I have gotten this wrong a time or two. Ironically, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that we learn our best lessons from mistakes and failures. Embrace what you can do, and be clear on the rest."

How she spends her free time: "I’ve put a tremendous amount of effort and focus into being more present in my personal life when I’m not at the track. I asked my team to write down and seal their 2024 professional goal in envelopes in one of our first meetings of the year. We all shared what our goals were to hold each other accountable. Mine was finding work-life presence. This means being truly present in each moment, and my life has improved because I’ve given myself the space to do so.

When I’m not focused on how I can bring our vision to life at CDRT, you can find me outside on my patio that overlooks downtown reading a book or going for a long walk. The perfect end to my day is catching the sunset and expressing gratitude for the life I’ve been given. I’ve also been an avid yogi for almost a decade—it’s my favorite way to practice self-care.

Louisville is a booming city with a ton of exciting things to do. I love to catch a game at one of our city’s other amazing sports venues or check out the latest restaurant or bar that’s popped up. I travel as often as I can, but there’s always adventure and awe to scratch the itch in every corner of Derby City."

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