CLEVELAND — The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has announced author, marketer and entrepreneur Ryan Holiday as a featured speaker at the 55th Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. Holiday will address all attendees in a Featured Session on Tuesday, June 9 at 4 p.m., in addition to headlining a breakout session for Division I athletics directors.

"The knowledge and wisdom that Ryan Holiday will provide for Convention attendees is second to none," said NACDA Chief Executive Officer Bob Vecchione. "His motivation, vision and skill set developed in the business and marketing world will easily transfer to collegiate athletics administrators looking to make a profound impact on the student-athletes they serve. Leaders at all levels and stages of their careers will benefit from Ryan's session."

Few writers have done more to bring ancient, timeless wisdom and cutting-edge marketing strategies together than Holiday. By age 31, his philosophically-driven bestselling books have not only sold nearly two million copies, but they've directly influenced Super Bowl-winning teams, World Series champions and Olympic Gold Medalists, as well as sitting Senators, military leaders and some of the largest companies in the world like Google, Twitter and Microsoft.

At the core of Holiday's teachings is Stoicism, a philosophy he has brought back from ancient Rome and into the workplace, entrepreneurship, politics, and sports. Stoicism is the idea that while we don't always control what happens to us in life, we always control how we respond. It's this message — a framework for overcoming obstacles, scaling new challenges and battling both the ups and downs and life, illustrated vividly with stories from the greats (and not-so-greats) of history — that has brought Holiday in front of some of the most influential audiences in the world. He's been profiled by The New York Times, Sports Illustrated and ESPN, and he counts among his clients and followers, some of the biggest names in business, tech, culture and professional athletics.

With a thirst for knowledge outside academic norms, after dropping out of college, Holiday's marketing career has been equally groundbreaking. Beginning at 21 as the director of marketing for American Apparel and through his creative agency, Brass Check, his clients consist of a who's who of hot brands and businesses. His book Trust Me I'm Lying was the first to reveal the massive vulnerabilities (and opportunities) in the global media system in 2012. His book Growth Hacker Marketing is a bible for startups and Fortune 500 companies alike. Both books are taught in colleges and design programs around the world and his most recent book, Conspiracy, is being adapted into a major motion picture.

Hotel and Convention registration for #NACDA2020 will go live on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 12 noon ET. Click here for more information.

About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 55th year, is the professional and educational Association for more than 15,700 college athletics administrators at more than 1,700 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 6,500 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. Additionally, NACDA manages 17 professional associations and three foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.