A Day in the Life: Biap Systems’ Dan Levinson
By Mavis Scanlon
As EVP of marketing for Biap Systems, Dan Levinson spends many days (and more than a few nights) on the road talking up the personalization capabilities of the company’s interactive TV software. When he’s not doing that, you’re likely to find him in the first-base coach’s box on baseball fields in and around Rye, N.Y., talking up the possibilities of stealing second.
Eight years ago, Levinson started coaching his son Brian’s baseball team. He hasn’t looked back; neither has Brian, now 13 and a promising pitcher. Levinson’s known as one of cable’s most approachable and extroverted execs, qualities that certainly help him on the baseball field.
There’s plenty of on-the-job support at the Plano, Texas-based company for Levinson’s extracurricular activities. Let’s face it, if there’s anyplace on Earth where there’s support for sports, it’s the Lone Star State.
“We kill ourselves [at work], but on the other hand, I’ve got time to do this,” he says. “I’m lucky, I’ve got a good life.” A cable industry veteran, Levinson worked at HBO in its early days, when “we made everything up.” Not unlike his work on the lines at first base, which I witnessed on a humid evening in late July. Brian’s team is part of the 55-year-old, 47,000-team-strong Babe Ruth League.
Before play started, coaches and umpires stood sweating in the oppressive heat and looking at the sky, which was darkening by the minute.
“How you doing, Lou?” Levinson greeted an umpire. “You praying for thunder?” An avid weather watcher, Levinson (correctly) predicted the storm would pass by.
The umpires decided to play as long as possible before the thunderstorm hit. In the top of the second, with Brian on the mound, the shortstop made a double play, ending the opposing Larchmont team’s at bat.
“That’s a Derek Jeter play!” Levinson cried. “That’s as good as you can get with kids that age–nationwide, that’s a good play.”
The storm blew in as the third inning began. After play resumed, Larchmont just couldn’t match Rye’s defense–or base-stealing abilities. Rye won going away, 9-1.
[Copyright 2005 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved.]
COPYRIGHT 2005 Access Intelligence, LLC
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
