TEAM

JIM TANNER

PRESIDENT

For more than 20 years, Jim has represented professional athletes in a range of matters—from player contract negotiations to advertising and marketing contracts. He is certified as an agent by both the National Basketball Players Association and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association. Recognized several times in Washingtonian’s list of “Top Lawyers” for media and sports law, Jim has also been selected twice by Sports Illustrated as one of the “101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports.”

In addition to professional athletes, Jim also represents a number of broadcasters and professional and college coaches in employment contract negotiations. He was a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his BA in 1990, going on to earn his JD from the University of Chicago. Before founding Tandem, Jim worked as an attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, before becoming a partner at Williams & Connolly LLP. Jim is admitted to the bars of Illinois and the District of Columbia.

MEREDITH GEISLER

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS

Meredith coordinates the extensive public relations efforts for each of our sports clients. She has over twenty-five years of experience in sports public relations, having previously worked as a Director of Media Relations at Advantage International and at Fila USA. Meredith graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and received her Master’s Degree in Sports Management from the University of Massachusetts. Meredith is also an adjunct professor in Sports Media & Communications at American University, Georgetown University and George Washington University.

HELEN DOOLEY

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, TALENT REPRESENTATION/GENERAL COUNSEL

Helen drafts and negotiates the off-the-court agreements for Tandem’s clients, including appearances, licensing, and endorsement deals. She also assists athletes with non-sports business deals and negotiates publishing and broadcasting contracts. Helen received both her undergraduate (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and law degrees from Duke University. Helen is admitted to the bars of the District of Columbia and North Carolina.

SHANA MARTIN

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CLIENT AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Shana serves as a resource for our clients, monitoring professional and personal obligations, tracking payment obligations of companies endorsed by our clients, and overseeing other client obligations. She oversees all administrative matters for our clients as well as our practice, and is also certified as an agent by the Women’s National Basketball Association. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Political Science.

LESLIE GROVES

Vice President, Marketing + Community Strategy

A sports industry veteran, Leslie procures marketing and endorsement opportunities for Tandem clients. She works to generate revenue and develop and implement fully-integrated action plans and programs. Prior to joining Tandem, Leslie’s experience included the USTA/Mid-Atlantic Section, Score Results Marketing and Communications, Nordstrom, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, Snowsports Industries America, Women’s Sports Foundation, Galyans Sports & Outdoor, Boys & Girls Club of America, and Nike, Inc. Leslie earned a Bachelor of Science in Business at Oregon State University.

ALISON TANNER

VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS

Alison oversees company operations and procedures such as payroll, benefits, supply acquisition and assigning and monitoring clerical functions. She also plans and implements office systems, layouts and equipment procurement. Alison graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering. She received her MBA and JD from the University of Chicago and previously worked in corporate finance at Friedman Billings Ramsey and Capital One. Alison is admitted to the bars of Illinois and the District of Columbia.

KATHERINE CORD

SR. MANAGER, COMMUNICATIONS + SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

Katherine provides public relations, social media and general communications support for Tandem and Tandem’s clients. Prior to joining Tandem, Katherine spent two seasons working for the Washington Wizards communications department as a PR intern (2012-13) and public relations game night assistant (2013-14). Katherine received her BA in Communication with a focus in Public Relations from the University of Maryland, where she assisted the Media Relations Department with all sports and served as the school’s Sports Information Director for the women’s gymnastics team.

MAX WIEPKING

AGENT

Max provides support to Tandem’s basketball agents with on-court representation and services for the agency’s clients. His extensive basketball background both on-and off-the-court allows him to provide knowledgeable analysis of team rosters, salary cap scenarios and the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Prior to joining Tandem, Max worked as an analytics intern and a player development associate for the Dallas Mavericks. He also played four years of basketball at the University of Arizona.

VICKIE LEE

RECEPTIONIST + ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Vickie is a highly-trained executive assistant with more than sixteen years of experience in customer support and administrative management. In addition to her hospitality receiving guests at Tandem offices, Vickie works closely with all other staff to ensure that Tandem’s client service is second-to-none. Vickie’s professional education includes extensive certification in records and expense management systems.

DARRELL COMER

Agent

Darrell is involved in client management, contract negotiations, recruitment, marketing and draft preparation for Tandem’s clients. With years of industry experience, Darrell has developed and maintained strong global relationships and partnerships throughout the basketball world.

Darrell, an Atlanta resident, is a cum laude graduate of Morehouse College with a BA in Business Administration – Marketing. He attended Georgia State University in their Masters of Sport Administration program while working on the men’s basketball staff. Darrell is a certified agent by both the National Basketball Players Association and Federal International Basketball Association.

ELIAS SBIET

Agent

Elias joined Tandem in 2021 after spending more than a decade in the scouting world servicing more than half of the NCAA at the Division I level. He has a depth of knowledge in the player evaluation process and specializes in player projections. Elias has consulted for NBA teams leading into multiple draft years between 2012 and 2019. A native of Canada, he played a key role in building the infrastructure for Canada’s identification platform through nation-wide ID camps, ranking systems and media platforms.

Elias was named to the Canada Basketball Power 20, a list compiled by SportsNet to illustrate the nation’s top builders, decisions makers and trend setters.

JARROD RUDOLPH

Sr. Manager, Communications + Community Strategy

Jarrod provides public relations, community relations, and general communications support for Tandem. He works directly with clients to enhance their personal and professional brands.

Jarrod graduated from the University of Central Florida in Orlando and earned his Master’s Degree in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University. Prior to Tandem, he was the Director of Talent Affairs for Dee Gospel, where he led all PR, media, and communications efforts. Jarrod also spent seven years covering the NBA as a sports writer.

CHRIS BRANTLEY

Vice President, Marketing + Partnerships

Chris is a brand development expert with more than 20 years of experience in sports marketing representation. He sources lucrative marketing deals and partnership with clients, specializing in deals that are authentic and tell each client’s story.

Before working in athlete marketing, Chris played professional football with the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills after being a four-year starter at Rutgers University. After retiring as a player, Chris worked as a certified NFL agent and marketing representative. Chris’s experience as a professional athlete gives him a unique understanding of the balance the athlete brings to perfecting his craft while pursuing his off-court business goals.

JOSIAH PINTO

Manager, Basketball Operations + Client Branding

Josiah assists with both basketball operations and marketing initiatives for Tandem’s clients. On the basketball side, he works on all aspects of free agency, draft preparation, client evaluation and salary cap analysis. Josiah also pursues marketing opportunities, social media activations and endorsements that align with each client’s brand and interests.

Josiah received both his undergraduate and MBA degrees from Oral Roberts University. He earned his JD from Syracuse University.

TERRENCE FELDER

Manager, Basketball Operations + Client Branding

Terrence supports Tandem’s brand strategy team and basketball department. He assists with developing clients’ brands through strategic partnerships that are organic to them. Terrence also plays a role in recruiting, guiding rookies through the pre-draft process, client servicing, and analyzing salary cap and team rosters.

Prior to joining Tandem, Terrence worked in Iona College’s Athletic Department as a Communications Manager. He received his BA in Sports Management from SUNY Cortland where he was a four-year member of the basketball team.

FERNANDO CATALAN

Senior Manager, Operations

Fernando serves as the agency’s Senior Manager, Operations. He develops market research reports, monitors the company’s business plans, and oversees finance related matters. He is skilled in managing business negotiations along all the distribution chains in the European and American markets.

Fernando has a Business Management and Finance degree with more than nine years of experience working in international finance. Originally from Spain, Fernando is fluent in Spanish and English.

Before joining the company, Fernando worked in NBC Universal Networks as a Finance Manager.