Before she led Taylor, Maeve Hagen defended a college field hockey goal and joined the agency as an intern. Her route to the top has been a study in staying, learning and making room for other people.

Before Diane Smith built two recruiting-software companies with the same co-founder, she learned how to lose a roster spot, return, and make the team. Her career is a study in what happens when a coach’s eye meets a recruiter’s frustration.