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Mark Donovan
President
Biography
Entering his 24th season in the National Football League and his 14th season in Kansas City in 2022, 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 24th season in the National Football League and his 14th season in Kansas City in 2022, 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.
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.
Under Donovan's leadership, the Chiefs returned to their place as a model franchise in professional sports. In addition to being one of the only franchises in all sports to safely host fans at every game during the 2020 season, the 2021 season was precedent-setting as GEHA Field at Arrowhead hosted the most games in the NFL with three home playoff games – the Wild Card, Divisional and Championship rounds – a feat never accomplished before in the NFL.
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 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. In 2019, the club debuted The Franchise, a multi-episode, behind-the-scenes digital content series that continued delivering unique content to fans during the 2021 season. With access limited during the coronavirus-impacted 2020 season, the club introduced Kingdom Shorts to provide fans shorter video snapshots into a number of team initiatives and operations.
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. 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. The city of Kansas City, along with support from the Chiefs, was awarded the 2023 NFL Draft through a bid process that was announced prior to the 2019 NFL season. In addition, the Chiefs, alongside 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 GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium serving as the proposed match site. The club also opened the first Chiefs Fit location in Overland Park, Kansas, in 2021 as part of a partnership with M6 Football. The two organizations have announced a second location which is set to open in Summer 2022 on the historic Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri.
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 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 as part of the league's overall growth and expansion plans.
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 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.
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. 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.
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. Donovan served as the keynote speaker for the United WE Champion Breakfast in 2021 as an ally to raise funds and awareness for the advancement of women's economic and civic leadership. Kathy Donovan serves on United WE's Board of Directors. 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.