2022 Impact 50: Lesley Olenik

SVP, Global Touring
Live Nation

As the SVP of Global Touring at Live Nation, Lesley Olenik has promoted tours for Billie Eilish, Rosalía, Lizzo, ODESZA, Florence + The Machine, and more. This past year is set to be one of Olenik’s busiest yet, with all of her aforementioned artists set to go out on tour in 2022.

“I’m proud of being part of bringing live music back over the last year,” Olenik says. “Billie Eilish’s ‘Happier Than Ever Tour’ is something that was especially impactful, having finally kicked off in February with incredible turnout. She sold 450,000 tickets for her arena
tour – a huge monument for our team.”

Even before she joined Live Nation in 2017, Olenik had been a force to be reckoned with. Her status as a Decider in the industry has seen her driving some of the largest female-led tours, and some of the biggest events.

Olenik has been busy working on Pharell’s upcoming Something In The Water Festival, which will see the celebration of Juneteenth in Washington, D.C. Inclusivity is yet another important value for Olenik and Live Nation, with the senior executive noting it’s ongoing when it comes to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion. “(Live Nation) has made it clear that each and every one of us holds the power to strengthen those initiatives– from hiring new talent to leading a team,” she says.

Alongside Eilish, Olenik has also made big steps to help promote sustainability in touring. “Billie Eilish is leading the charge on the sustainability front and I’m grateful to be a part of it. We’ve been reducing the carbon footprint on her tour as much as we can by eliminating single-use plastics in all venues, holding venues accountable for recycling, incorporating more plant-based menu options at concessions, and requiring price matching for those items. We have also been traveling with the REVERB team and setting up Eco Villages to educate fans and buildings on the current climate crisis and what we can do to help. I am also an active volunteer with Support + Feed, a non-profit which provides plant-based meals for communities in need.”