Entering his 21st season in the National Football League and his 11th season in Kansas City in 2019, Mark Donovan was named the fifth president in Chiefs history in January 2011 after serving two years as the club’s chief operating officer. 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 21st season in the National Football League and his 11th season in Kansas City in 2019, Mark Donovan was named the fifth president in Chiefs history in January 2011 after serving two years as the club’s chief operating officer. 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 for a club, with valuable perspective and strong relationships both in the Kansas City area and on a national level.

Building on the direction of the Hunt family and Founder Lamar Hunt, Donovan has led the focus on the Chiefs fan experience. The team has emerged as a league leader in fan engagement by introducing technology-based solutions and celebrating the traditions and fan rituals that make Arrowhead Stadium special. 

During Donovan’s tenure, significant investment has enhanced the in-stadium experience for fans at Arrowhead. Those features include an upgraded stadium-wide Wi-Fi network and the Chiefs Mobile app, offering fans a fully integrated mobile experience at their fingertips. The free app puts live video, including in-game highlights and replay, in the palm of your hand. It includes access to NFL Red Zone, providing the ability to get highlights from around the NFL on game day. The app also offers location services, customer relations issue reporting, as well as in-game statistics, player and coach biographies, news, videos, photos and much more. Prior to the 2017 season, through a partnership between the NFL and Intel Sport Group, the Chiefs introduced "FreeD" video technology at Arrowhead Stadium. A new form of volumetric video, "FreeD" creates all-new ways to watch video and replays through a network of 38 in-stadium cameras.

Following the 2018 season, the Chiefs announced three offseason upgrades to be completed at Arrowhead Stadium prior to the start of the 2019 season. While keeping its iconic shape and size, the stadium's west scoreboard underwent a technological modernization that incorporated new LED panels, providing best-in-class video for fans. There was also a re-application of waterproofing measures to the entire upper seating bowl, protecting the enclosed space of the CommunityAmerica Club Level below while maintaining the structural integrity of the concrete itself. As a result of the waterproofing, most seats in the upper deck were removed and replaced by brand new seats, with some seats being wider, and all seats featuring cupholders, an amenity that has never existed for fans in Arrowhead's upper level. 

After introducing ticketless technology in 2012-13, the Chiefs expanded to mobile ticketing for the 2015 season, allowing fans to manage their accounts and tickets from their phones while still having access to membership benefits such as exclusive content and a points-based rewards program, Chiefs Kingdom Rewards. In 2015, the club announced the expansion of the rewards program to all fans worldwide. This enables Season Ticket Members and non-Season Ticket Members alike the opportunity to earn rewards points for simply being a Chiefs fan. Those points can be entered daily for unique prizes and experiences. The club continues using technology and innovation in ticketing to create a secure method of entry for all fans and offer an array of products to fit many different consumer preferences. In recent years, the Chiefs offered multiple variations of digital-only pass concepts aimed at creating value and flexibility for fans. The club also went to an all-digital ticketing platform in 2018, focusing on efficiency and security for all ticketholders, leading to nearly 80% of fans entering Arrowhead via their mobile device. 

Donovan has consistently focused on expanding the multi-media presence of the Chiefs. Kansas City’s award-winning production group, 65 Toss Power Trap Productions, has continued a trend of content expansion on the Chiefs website, Mobile App, Social platforms and digital channels dedicated to live streaming, press conferences, team highlights and community events. The team's four preseason broadcasts are delivered to nearly five million total television households across seven states (Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa and Illinois) through the club's affiliate network.

Under Donovan’s leadership, the Kansas City Chiefs partnered with The University of Kansas Health System, bringing a comprehensive healthcare program to the organization, encompassing its players, staff and fans. Besides providing care to the team, The Center for Sports Medicine at The University of Kansas Health System Training Complex is open to the public and serves athletes of all ages.

In 2015, the Chiefs participated in the NFL's International Series with a 45-10 victory over the Detroit Lions at Wembley Stadium on November 1. Several fan initiatives were designed to bring together Chiefs fans from around the world, including a pub party at The Admiralty in London's Trafalgar Square, which was highlighted by Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt serving as celebrity bartender for fans and Season Ticket Members. The club was scheduled to appear in its second international contest in 2018, with a game vs. the Los Angeles Rams on ESPN's Monday Night Football. That game was relocated due to field conditions, but the Chiefs are scheduled for a 2019 away game vs. the Los Angeles Chargers at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City as part of the NFL's Mexico series. 

In addition to connecting Chiefs fans to the team they love, Donovan has overseen a period of tremendous business growth, re-establishing Arrowhead Stadium as a popular venue for sports and entertainment. He serves as the President of Arrowhead Events, LLC, the special events arm of the Kansas City Chiefs. Arrowhead Events has seen exponential growth over the past decade, bringing several major events to Kansas City. Since Donovan's arrival in 2009, U2, the Rolling Stones, Guns N' Roses, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, One Direction and Ed Sheeran have all headlined concert stops at Arrowhead Stadium. In addition, Arrowhead has played host to three international soccer matches, an NCAA FBS match-up between the University of Missouri and Brigham Young University and multiple Fall Classic contests, featuring regional NCAA Division II football teams. The venue also hosted the largest barbecue competition in the country, bringing the four-day American Royal World Series of Barbecue to the Truman Sports Complex. The 2019 Arrowhead Events calendar featured Monster Jam, marking the stadium's first motorsports event since 1993. The Chiefs, in alignment with a number of local business and civic leaders, are also in the bid process to bring 2026 FIFA World Cup matches to Kansas City, with Arrowhead Stadium serving as the proposed match site.

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. This strategy has resulted in partnerships that are not only mutually beneficial to the Chiefs and the corporations but to Chiefs fans and the Kansas City community. 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.

Locally, the Chiefs continue to be a major economic leader in the Kansas City community. Chiefs games and other events at Arrowhead Stadium generate more than $625 million annually, including $273 million in household income. They also support nearly 6,000 jobs and provide $17 million in annual tax revenue for the State of Missouri. In January 2019, the Chiefs announced a one-year extension with Missouri Western State University that will keep St. Joseph, Missouri, the home of Chiefs Training Camp presented by Mosaic Life Care through the summer of 2019. Since training camp moved to St. Joseph in 2010 more than 330,000 people have seen the Chiefs practice at Missouri Western State University.

His leadership extends to the community, where he has initiated a more strategic approach to the Chiefs charitable giving and community involvement, allowing the team to focus resources for greater impact to the community. This approach has identified a handful of causes: feeding the hungry in the region, children’s health and wellness initiatives and providing support for families and children in crisis. 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. Last year's game, the first of a three-year relationship benefitting Cornerstones of Care, raised $485,000 while more than $8 million has been raised over the past 15 years. The club was named the 2016 Business Philanthropist of the Year by Nonprofit Connect, an association linking the nonprofit community to education, resources and networking so organizations can more effectively achieve their missions.

Donovan and his wife Kathy are also personally committed to the community, serving in numerous civic and charitable leadership roles, including two terms as the inaugural Board Chair for City Year Kansas City beginning in 2016. For his support of City Year, AmeriCorps and the national service community, he was awarded the Citizen Service Award by Voices for National Service in February of 2019. They served as honorary chairs for Forks and Corks to benefit Harvesters - The Community Food Network in 2016, and as honorary chairs for the 2017 Kansas City Repertory Theatre's Fearless Fete. The couple also chaired the 2019 City Year Gala. He was also a co-chair for the American Jazz Walk of Fame in 2016. He joined University of Kansas Men’s Basketball Coach Bill Self to headline the KVC Hero Luncheon in 2015 and was a featured speaker at the J.A. Vickers Sr. and Robert F. Vickers Sr. Lecture Series for the University of Kansas School of Business.

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.