10 People You Didn't Know Work For WWE

It's been a long time since anyone but WWE has been able to lay claim to being the world's most successful wrestling organization, but over the course of the past few years, the company's truly become a super-entity. The opening of the Orlando-based Performance Center in 2013 has allowed WWE to exert even greater control over how the next generation of talent wrestles and acts, while the rising popularity of the NXT developmental brand has essentially given the company control of the U.S.'s two largest wrestling promotions. It takes a lot to run a global corporation. Earlier this month, WWE announced that it currently employs 840 people, an all-time high. While many of the company's employees work in departments that don't focus primarily on wrestling, others do - and for them, an intimate knowledge of the industry is often required. That's why so many of these men and women either have experience in the business or analogous talents that make them valuable. Many former WWE superstars and personalities, independent standouts, and others are currently helping contribute behind the scenes. Here are ten people you didn't know work for WWE:

10. Sara Del Ray

When WWE signed Ring of Honor veteran Sara Del Ray in 2012, fans online were ecstatic. After all, Del Ray - who is a former Shimmer Women Athletes Champion and had wrestled both women and men en route to establishing her reputation - was considered one of the best female wrestlers in the entire world. There was a palpable disappointment when news began to leak that Del Ray would not be used as an on-screen talent - and in fact, she would not be wrestling at all. Instead, she was going to work for NXT as a trainer, helping the next generation of divas become more capable in the ring. Infuriated fans felt that Del Ray's in-ring career was cut short prematurely just so WWE could continue to hire models with no wrestling experience. Nearly four years later, those opinions have been proven incorrect. Del Ray - who is currently an assistant head coach at the WWE's Performance Center as well as a producer for Divas' segments - has helped craft the NXT Women's roster into the envy of the entire company. Former champions Charlotte and Sasha Banks were both trained, in part, by Del Ray, and the result is a healthier division in both NXT and WWE.