EverBank Field was about to become EverBank Speedway.
Jacksonville Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville was revving up an Autobahn go-kart, preparing to race stunt performer Travis Pastrana through the stadium’s concourses.
A friendly $1 wager was on the line. The go-kart battle was a promotional gag for Nitro Circus Live at Veterans Memorial Arena.
There was just one hitch.
Was it safe?
Jaguars Senior Vice President Megha Parekh got a last-minute, somewhat frantic call from another team executive: “Can you please look into this?”
Parekh, the team’s chief legal officer, stopped what she was doing to address the risk management challenge.
She began by having a heart-to-heart talk with the competitors.
“I said, ‘Look, I don’t want to say no to you, but we have to be safe about this,’” she said.
Then, she called for reinforcements.
For the next few minutes, Parekh and a host of strategically placed team staffers served as spotters for the race.
Potential catastrophe avoided.
“If you asked me when I came to work that day if I’d be telling people that a particular turn is clear in the stadium, I would have said no,” she said of the May 2015 duel, which was won by Pastrana and made its way to YouTube. “But that’s what makes it fun, right?”
Being open to fun is part of Parekh’s modus operandi.
That’s why, she says, working as an executive for a National Football League franchise — and being able to wear Jaguars T-shirts to work every day — suits her just fine.
“There’s a lot of volume and there are a lot of transactions, but the truth is, we’re a football team,” she said. “No offense to bank lawyers, but it’s fun working here.”
The maxim that “no two days are alike” is particularly true in the professional sports business — on and off the field, she said.
“The go-kart race is a good example of the sort of things that come up day-to-day that make this job fun and different,” she said. “You just can’t make that stuff up.”
Parekh, 31, was hired in March 2013 as the Jaguars’ vice president and general counsel; her advanced title took effect in April.
The New Jersey native is responsible for oversight of legal matters, human resources, employee development, information technology and office services.
Parekh’s major projects as the team’s top lawyer have included working on owner Shad Khan’s acquisition of the Fulham Football Club, a British soccer team; the $63 million EverBank Field project, including the scoreboards, completed in 2014; and $90 million in stadium improvements, such as construction of an amphitheater and flex field, to be completed in 2017.
Before joining the Jaguars, she worked in the New York office of the international sports law firm, Proskauer.
Among the Forbes Magazine 30 Under 30 Sports List honoree’s projects with Proskauer was working on Khan’s acquisition of the Jaguars.
While her job is multifaceted and the hours are long, Parekh maintains her job is easy.
“It’s easy because I have an owner, president, head coach and general manager who all believe very strongly in ethics,” she said. “As a lawyer, you can’t ask for anything more.”
The Jaguars approach to business is “the best way to do things is the right way,” Parekh explained.
Parekh credits her Indian immigrant parents for providing her with a superb education — and unlimited opportunities.
As a regular keynote speaker at U.S. naturalization ceremonies in Jacksonville, she discusses her pride in being an American.
“It’s just incredible to me the opportunities that are here versus what would have happened if I had been one of my first cousins,” she said.
Parekh says congratulating the country’s newest citizens face-to-face is a joy.
Khan is a Pakistani immigrant.
“I do it because I want to be one more person who welcomes them,” she said. “They are part of sort of a social contract which I think is a critical part of what makes this country great.”
While Parekh had a strong transactional background upon taking the Jaguars gig, she was new to the human resources management side of her responsibilities.
So, particularly with Google’s help, she became a fast-track student of the discipline.
“I looked at what other companies are doing for best practices,” she said.
Among the initiatives the Jaguars have incorporated under Parekh’s guidance are unlimited vacation days for employees and the opportunity to telecommute — particularly during the offseason.
“The policies are really meant to say to get your job done when and where you can … and go live life,” she said.
Jaguars employees also participate in community projects, are celebrated with staff appreciation benefits and have a wellness program that includes on-site access to preventive medical care.
One new benefit — Jaguars University, which offers employees training in budgeting, leadership, writing and other life skills — is a Parekh brainchild.
She says the idea surfaced on a Saturday night after she declined an invitation to join her friends at Pete’s Bar in Neptune Beach — and blossomed from there.
On her shelves at home is a trove of books, including some from her Harvard University and Harvard Law School studies.
“I was looking at all of these books that were just sitting there at my house and thinking that I wanted to share them and the knowledge that is in them with the other people at work,” Parekh said.
It’s crucial for everyone in the workplace to never stop learning.
“The more you can invest in your people and keep them engaged, the better work they will do,” she said.
It’s not all about the employees. The company benefits, too.
“The more they know, the better they write, the more they understand financial statements … the better decisions they’ll make,” she said.
Parekh says she particularly enjoys social time with her friends — and turning down an opportunity to join friends at Pete’s is a rarity for her.
“I’m glad I stayed home that time,” she said. “(Jaguars University) is probably the most favorite thing we’ve done since I’ve been here.”