November 2, 2009
The NFL's Money Man
by Tim Hyland
How competitive is Anthony Noto?
Well, here’s a good indication: He played football in his junior and senior seasons at West Point with torn ligaments in both knees.
But Noto didn’t just play. He excelled, earning Academic All-American and All-East honors as the team’s star linebacker. And at the same time that he was battering opponents on the field, he was dominating his classmates off of it. By the time he graduated from West Point in 1990, Noto was the highest-ranked mechanical engineering major in his class.
“I honestly think I’m the kind of person that is driven by fear of failure rather than striving for success,” says Noto, WG’99. “I tend to go to bed scared and wake up terrified.”
Noto’s drive served him well at West Point. It hasn’t hurt him since graduation, either. After starting his career as a brand manager with Kraft Foods in Chicago, Noto landed on Wall Street--and, during his time at Goldman Sachs, established himself as one of the brightest young analysts in his sector.
Institutional Investor magazine named him the No. 1 analyst for Internet stocks each year between 2003 and 2007, and he was widely viewed as one of the most respected analysts in the communication, media and entertainment sector as well. But despite the success, and despite making partner at Goldman, Noto grew hungry for a new challenge. He found one, too. Just as he was preparing to leave Goldman, Noto got a call from someone at the National Football League, wondering if he might be interested in serving as the league’s chief financial officer. He took over the position two years ago.
In many ways, it’s a dream job for Noto--a way to bring together both his childhood and professional passions--but it’s not without its challenges. As CFO, Noto is charged with helping the league to navigate the economic downturn and playing a key role in collective bargaining negotiations with the NFL Players Association. Those negotiations, which have just now begun, are expected to be long and difficult.
Noto sat down with Wharton Magazine for an interview in late August.
