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Mark Donovan
President
Biography
Entering his 25th season in the National Football League and his 15th season in Kansas City in 2023, Mark Donovan is the fifth president in Chiefs history. As president, Donovan is responsible for all aspects of the club's business operations and reports directly to Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt.
Entering his 25th season in the National Football League and his 15th season in Kansas City in 2023, Mark Donovan is the fifth president in Chiefs history. As president, Donovan is responsible for all aspects of the club's business operations and reports directly to Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt.
Donovan brings unique experience and perspective to the team. He is one of only a few executives league-wide who has worked both at the NFL league office and multiple clubs, with valuable perspective and strong relationships both in the Kansas City area and on a national level.
In addition to serving as the President of the Chiefs, Donovan also serves as the President of Arrowhead Events, the special events arm of the organization that is responsible for bringing concerts and major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup to GEHA Field at Arrowhead, as well as Arrowhead Equity Ventures, a partnership that funds strategic investments.
Under Donovan's leadership, the Chiefs returned to their place as a model franchise in professional sports. Building on the direction of the Hunt family and Founder Lamar Hunt, Donovan has led a talented team that has transformed the business operation and achieved unprecedented success across all measurable areas.
The city of Kansas City, along with support from the Chiefs, hosted the 2023 NFL Draft in the downtown area surrounding historic and iconic Union Station and the National WWI Museum and Memorial. In addition, the Chiefs, alongside a number of local business and civic leaders, were part of a successful bid campaign for Kansas City to be one of 16 North American cities to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, with GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium serving as match site. The club has also opened two Chiefs Fit locations – one in Overland Park, Kansas, and one on the historic Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri – in partnership with M6 Football.
After introducing ticketless technology in 2012-13 and expanding to mobile ticketing for the 2015 season, the club moved to an all-digital ticketing platform in 2018 and an all-mobile ticketing platform in 2020 to ensure efficiency and security, as well as delivering a contactless entry process for all ticketholders. Fans are able to manage their accounts and tickets from their phones while having access to membership benefits such as exclusive content and a points-based rewards program.
Donovan has consistently focused on expanding the brand and presence of the Chiefs, growing the fan-base to the fourth largest and the most avid in the league – ensuring that Chiefs Kingdom is felt both locally and across the country. By bringing people together over unforgettable experiences and unrivaled entertainment both in the stadium and beyond, Donovan has continued to be a leader by taking a modern and multi-media approach to engage with fans through content across the Chiefs website, Chiefs Mobile app, social platforms and digital channels, reaching over 10.7 million fans. Led by the marketing team and their award-winning production group, 65 Toss Power Trap Productions, the club's storytelling is unparalleled. The Franchise, the team's annual multi-episode behind-the-scenes content series provides fans a look at the season through the eyes of the coaches, players and front office, while newer short-form content has driven the team to be the No. 1 NFL team on TikTok.
In addition to connecting Chiefs fans to the team they love, Donovan has overseen a period of tremendous business growth, re-establishing GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium as a popular venue for sports and entertainment. Arrowhead Events has seen exponential growth over the past decade, bringing several major events to Kansas City, including concerts, college football games, motorsports, as well as food and drink festivals. Across 2023, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium has, and is scheduled to host six major concerts across five tour stops from Live Nation, AEG and Messina Touring Group. Focusing on delivering diverse styles, genders and ages in the acts, the lineup includes two nights of Taylor Swift – one of the country's most anticipated and in-demand concerts of all time – with 135,000 guests during the two shows in Kansas City. Other performers include pop stars Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran, country superstar Luke Combs, as well as legends Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks. In addition, Arrowhead Events welcomed Monster Jam for a fourth year and held the third-annual Q BBQ Fest – Kansas City on the playing surface at GEHA Field at Arrowhead.
In his time in Kansas City, Donovan has also created a new approach to sponsorships, setting a strategy to partner with companies which share the vision, qualities and values of the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2017, the Chiefs were recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal as a Champion of Business for leadership within industry, innovation and commitment to giving back to the community. In 2019 the Chiefs announced a partnership with Government Employees Health Association, Inc. (GEHA) and in 2021, Donovan helped the club expand that partnership and secure the first stadium naming rights agreement in the history of the franchise for GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Donovan continues to target global brand growth and international fan expansion for the club. In December 2021, the NFL awarded the Chiefs International Home Marketing Area (IHMA) rights for both Germany and Mexico, followed by expansion to Austria and Switzerland as part of the league's Global Markets Program. The club has been designated to play the Miami Dolphins at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt on Sunday, Nov. 5, marking the first of two 2023 NFL games in Germany. Since the launch of the Chiefs rights in Germany and Mexico, the brand has become a leader in both markets – ranking within the top five and top ten respectively for fanbase size. The Chiefs are engaged year-round in both markets through content, activations, media, and youth programming and Chiefs Flag Football to ensure that awareness of, and engagement with, the club is consistent. This approach has positioned the Chiefs as the top team in social following on Instagram in Germany of all teams with rights in the market. In addition, the club has signed a broadcast agreement with RTL Germany to air multiple preseason games as well as The Franchise presented by GEHA to fans in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The team has begun signing partnerships with companies in Germany and continues business development conversations in the market leading up to the 2023 season.
Locally, the Chiefs continue to be a major economic leader in the Kansas City community. Chiefs games and other events at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium generate nearly $800 million annually in the metro area, including $374 million in household income. They also support nearly 6,000 jobs and provide more than $15 million in annual tax revenue for the State of Missouri.
Donovan's leadership extends to the community where he sits on the Board of Directors for the Hunt Family Foundation. He has helped establish a more strategic approach to the Chiefs charitable giving and community involvement, better enabling the club to carry out its vision to focus resources for greater impact. This approach has prioritized a handful of causes: children's health and wellness, children and families in crisis, civic responsibility and legacy of the Chiefs and the NFL. The Chiefs Charity Game, one of the many Kansas City traditions started by the Hunt family, is the longest-running and most successful charity game in the National Football League.
Donovan and his wife Kathy are also personally committed to the community, serving in numerous civic and charitable leadership roles. He served two terms as the Founding Board Chair for City Year Kansas City beginning in 2016 and remains on the board. For his support of City Year, AmeriCorps and the national service community, Donovan was awarded the Citizen Service Award by Voices for National Service in February of 2019. In the past few years, the couple has chaired the 2020 Angel Gala for The Children's Place, the 2019 City Year Gala as well as Treads and Threads 2019 to benefit The University of Kansas Health System. Kathy Donovan serves on United WE's Board of Directors. They served as keynote speakers for the United WE Champion Breakfast in 2021 and 2023 as allies to raise funds and awareness for the advancement of women's economic and civic leadership. He was also recognized as the 2021 Executive of the Year by the Kansas City Sports Commission, largely for his leadership in safely navigating the organization, the stadium and Chiefs fans through the COVID-impacted 2020 football season.
Donovan arrived in Kansas City after six years with the Philadelphia Eagles as Senior Vice President of Business Operations (2003-08). Prior to joining the Eagles, Donovan held leadership roles as the NFL's Senior Director of Sales and Marketing (1999-2003) and the Director of Sales and Marketing for the National Hockey League (1997-99). He also brings seven years of experience in the private business sector.
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native graduated from Brown University with a double major in political science and organizational behavior/management. He captained the Brown football squad as the team's quarterback and signed with the New York Giants as a free agent upon graduation.
He and his wife, Kathy, have two children and reside in Kansas City.