Barstool’s Erika Nardini resigns from WWE Board of Directors

When WWE elected Michelle McKenna and JoEllen Lyons Dillon to its Board of Directors on Sept. 16, we noted the 12 member body was now ¹⁄₃ female.

Well, being 27% female is good too.

Later in the day on Friday, in a filing with the U.S. Security & Exchange Commission (SEC) that announced McKenna and Dillon would be joining the board, it was revealed Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardina is resigning.

It’s specified this isn’t due to anything that’s been going on at WWE this year (and there’s been A LOT going on at WWE this year), but to allow Nardini to focus on her day job — where gambling giant, and current owner of 36% of Barstool shares, Penn Entertainment recently revealed plans to purchase the remainder of the Dave Portnoy-founded company by 2023:

“Concurrent with the election of Mses. Dillion and McKenna, Erika Ayers Nardini has resigned from the Board. With the recent acquisition of Barstool Sports by Penn Entertainment, Ms. Ayers Nardini’s time will be focused on the next chapter of this business and partnership. Ms. Ayers Nardini’s decision to resign from the Board was not due to any dispute or disagreement with [WWE], its management or any matter relating to [WWE’s] operations, policies or practices.”

Nardini was a high profile addition to the WWE Board in 2020. Her exit means the current membership consists of:

• Stephanie McMahon (Chairwoman)
• Nick Khan
• Paul “Triple H” Levesque
• Steve Koonin
• Ignace Lahoud
• Steve Pamon
• Man Jit Singh
• Jeffrey R. Speed
• Alan M. Wexler
• Michelle McKenna
• JoEllen Lyons Dillon