Michael White got a call a few weeks ago from someone in Italy who was offering to provide any insight he could about how the Florida Panthers do business.<\/p>\n
The caller was Bill Zito, the Panthers\u2019 hockey operations president.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s when White knew he\u2019d fit in as the team\u2019s business operations president.<\/p>\n
The Panthers officially announced White, who has spent a 25-year career working in the technology and guest experience worlds, as their new business chief on Tuesday. He will oversee \u201call business aspects,\u201d the team said, of its four facilities \u2014 Amerant Bank Arena, Baptist Health IcePlex, Panthers IceDen and War Memorial Auditorium.<\/p>\n
White said the idea to work alongside Zito, the architect of the team that won Stanley Cup titles in 2024 and 2025, was a major factor. Zito called him last month from Italy, where he was part of the leadership for the U.S. men\u2019s hockey team that won gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics<\/a>. They\u2019ve been off and running ever since.<\/p>\n \u201cWe clicked automatically. Our first meeting was supposed to be 30 minutes, went an hour and a half and we probably could have talked another two hours,\u201d White said. \u201cAnd we just stayed in touch throughout the process. I would say that we\u2019re off to a really great start together and he was one of the primary reasons I came over here. He\u2019s one of one, a legend, but also somebody that you want to partner with.\u201d<\/p>\n White came to the Panthers after most recently serving as Chief Product Officer at Amazon\u2019s autonomous vehicle company, Zoox \u2014 helping to develop an autonomous robotaxi. Zambonis still require drivers when they touch up the ice at hockey rinks, but the Panthers said White\u2019s ability to launch strategies in many ways helped set him apart.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter a diligent and comprehensive search, we are confident that Michael is the right fit to lead our organization into continued success,\u201d said Michael Viola, part of the Panthers\u2019 ownership family. \u201cHe brings to our club a proven record in consumer experience, partnership growth and product development for some of the world\u2019s most successful companies and invaluable capabilities of organizational leadership and visionary innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n It won\u2019t take long for White to tackle one key issue for the Panthers\u2019 future. The team has until the fall of 2028 to propose development plans to Broward County officials for property that surrounds Amerant Bank Arena, where the team plays games.<\/p>\n