Jim McCarthy
The founder of Impresario Strategic Growth Service. The co-founder and former CEO of Goldstar and Stellar Live, Jim is the world’s leading authority on audience development for live events organizations. He and his team have supported more than 2,000,000 live events and delivered tens of millions of customers to partners and clients.
His work at Impresario Strategic Growth Service focuses that expertise on professional football (soccer) teams and leagues, supporting their revenue and audience growth.
Jim also serves on the Advisory Board of the Rose Bowl Institute, the Board of Trustees at the Pasadena Playhouse and is an adjunct professor at the Greif Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University and earned an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA.
A lifelong player, coach and fan of football, Jim is now focused on helping the world’s game continue to grow its audience and thrive.
Endorsements for Our Work
“Jim played a crucial role in our streak of 530 consecutive sellouts. Without his support and the tools and processes he created, it would have been much more difficult for us to achieve this streak, which is still a record in the 150 year history of the National League. His counsel would be valuable to any professional sports club looking to grow their audience and game day sales.”
Russ Stanley
San Francisco Giants, SVP of Sales.
“We started our collaboration with Jim and his team during a thrilling yet challenging period for Cirque Du Soleil, as we were expanding rapidly, bringing more shows to more places than ever before. It was an exciting time, full of opportunity, but it demanded innovation to thrive.
Jim and his team rose to the occasion again and again, consistently helping us grow our audiences and revenues. Jim’s approach to pricing and marketing strategy placed a critical role in the unprecedented success of Cirque du Soleil for more than a decade, making him and his team not just partners, but essential collaborators in our journey. Truly, they were exceptional and deeply appreciated allies in our adventure. “
Luc Boucher
Head of Marketing and Communications , Touring Shows Division, Cirque du Soleil
“Even well-received and popular productions such as Hamilton benefit from outside experts! The guidance and assistance provided by Jim and his team elevated our success even further. While we were already proficient in selling our show, Jim’s insights into pricing and promotion attracted a fresh audience and resulted in generating millions of dollars in additional revenue.”
Laura Matalon
Head of Tour Marketing for Hamilton, Book of Mormon, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
“When Jim joined the board, our 100 year-old institution was facing some of its most challenging times. Financially, artistically and in terms of our audience, we were at one of the most important moments in our history and it was unclear if we could move forward. It has been an amazing journey. This past season we had our most successful year ever (and took home a Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre in the United States). Jim’s partnership and guidance on pricing, marketing and strategy have been indispensable to me as a leader. He’s been crucial to preserving and extending the legacy of the Pasadena Playhouse and has helped to ensure that we thrive not just now, but for years to come.”
Danny Feldman
Producing Artistic Director, Tony-Award Winning Pasadena Playhouse