Editors’ Note

Kim Tully is the Chief Technology Officer at leading entertainment and sports agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Tully is an Information Technology professional with a proven track record of execution, leadership, and delivering results through a strong balance of business acumen and technical domain expertise. Since joining CAA in 2021, she leads all aspects of Information Technology delivery, from in-house development and licensed software installations, to Software as a Service (SaaS) implementations and global outsourcing. As a transformational leader with over 25 years of experience from companies including Synchrony Financial and General Electric (GE), Tully has demonstrated success around organizational design, process re-engineering, and application architecture. Tully graduated from Fairfield University with a BS degree in information systems, and earned an MBA from New York University.

Company Brief

Across film, television, music, sports, digital media, marketing, and beyond, CAA (caa.com) represents thousands of the world’s leading actors, directors, writers, producers, musical artists, comedians, authors, athletes, coaches, broadcasters, teams, leagues, chefs, designers, fashion talent, consumer brands, and more. Since its founding in 1975, CAA has continued to deliver on its promise that every client is represented by the whole agency. With a global network of employees and strategic partners in North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond, CAA taps its unequaled internal and external ecosystem of experts, relationships, access, and industry intelligence to help ensure that its clients achieve their goals.

How do you describe Creative Artists Agency’s culture and values?

Positioned at the nexus of talent, content, brands, technology, sports, and live events, CAA creates limitless opportunities for the storytellers, trendsetters, icons, and thought leaders who shape popular culture. In service of them, the agency is committed to remaining the strongest, most vibrant, and most innovative service company in the world. We are distinguished by our unique culture of collaboration, and we live by the ethos “when we take care of each other, good things happen.”

What excited you about the opportunity to join CAA and made you feel it was the right fit?

I was excited to work for a company that functions at the highest level, both operationally and with integrity. I am also passionate about providing exceptional service. I knew CAA was the right fit for me when it became clear how client-centric we are.

Will you provide an overview of your role and areas of focus?

I am the Chief Technology Officer at CAA and lead the Technology and Data organizations for the agency. My team’s mission is to power CAA with market leading tools, data, and insights that connect CAA clients to opportunities, creating value and partnership across our global footprint.

How critical is it for the chief information officer function to be engaged in business strategy?

Regardless of industry, technology influences so much in how business strategy is enabled and delivered. We are core to business and product development, management reporting and analytics, operational metrics, client satisfaction, and of course, data protection and safety, which is more important than ever as cybercrime becomes more sophisticated. Technology is a connector to all business functions.

Will you highlight some of CAA’s technology-driven initiatives and how technology is a differentiator for CAA?

Since 2017, CAA has been the first talent agency to pioneer a sophisticated data capability, driven by the mission of supercharging the creation of opportunity for the clients we serve. We believe that data, combined with agents’ intuitions and instincts, is one of CAA’s superpowers. Through CAAintell, our sophisticated data platform, partnering with cutting-edge data providers, and the insights we generate from our homegrown Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) methods, we gain profound insights into our clients, can listen to the pulse of our buyers, and can better navigate our ever-evolving market landscape.

We recognize the transformative power of data and are dedicated to leveraging it comprehensively to better serve our clients.

Will you discuss the talent and expertise of the CAA data team?

CAA’s data team is a dynamic ensemble of professionals specializing in data science, data analytics, and data insights, interconnected through robust data management. These dedicated experts play a pivotal role in translating the nuanced needs of agents and clients into cutting-edge features and tools. With a commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements, our team continuously evaluates emerging technologies, tools, and the latest trends in Data Science, AI, and Machine Learning. Collaborating across CAA’s extensive range of businesses, we diligently explore how data can be strategically applied to elevate client services.

How important is it for CAA to build a diverse and inclusive workforce?

CAA has long focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and has implemented short- and long-term strategies to ensure an inclusive environment in our workplace and beyond. This is a non-negotiable for us. We recognize the value of having teams that reflect the clients and communities we serve. The superpower of our technology team is our diversity of thought and approaches to the amazing work we do for CAA.

Do you feel that there are strong opportunities for women in leadership roles in the industry?

Absolutely. I’ve worked for many women business leaders, CEOs, CIOs. Each one inspired me to never give up, shoot for the stars, and above all, opportunities are what we make of them.

What advice do you offer to young people beginning their careers?

As I mentor young professionals, my advice is to be open to everything – every experience is a learning opportunity; take risks – now is the time to explore; and build a career on substance – the messy opportunities can be the ones most fulfilling and rewarding.