ATLANTA – January 9, 2023 – Arthur M. Blank, owner and chairman of the Blank Family of Business, today announced the appointment of five senior executives to new roles and responsibilities within the Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE) portfolio. announced the promotion of AMBSE includes the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League, Atlanta United of Major League Soccer, and Mercedes-Benz his stadium in downtown Atlanta.
Steve Cannoncurrently CEO of AMBSE, has been appointed Vice Chairman of AMBSE. Rich McKay Named CEO of AMBSE and will continue in his role as CEO of the Atlanta Falcons. Greg Beadles Promoted to President of the Atlanta Falcons, he assumes day-to-day leadership of all business functions for the franchise. AMBSE Chief His Revenue Officer Tim Zulawski has been promoted to president of AMBSE, and the search for a new chief commercial officer to oversee sponsorships will begin shortly. dietmar exler He has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and will continue as CEO of the Arthur M. Blank Family Office.
“We have always believed that continuity of leadership and thoughtful succession planning are the hallmarks of a great organization,” Blank said. “These new roles reflect how each of these leaders embodies our core values and our long-standing track record of excellence. , I would like to thank them for their loyalty, dedication and excellent service to our businesses, associates and partners me and my family. We are confident that we will continue to lead our business with a focus on our fans, customers, guests and stakeholders.It represents our values.”
Canon (7 years), McKay (19 years), Beadles (28 years), Zulawski (20 years), Exler (4 years), and three of them (Cannon, McKay and Exler) have had previous CEO roles. I have experience.
In late 2022, Blank announced his promotion to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) within the PGA Tour Superstore (PGATSS) business. Dick Sullivan added the duties of chairman, Jill Spiegel Promoted to chairman of PGATSS. Sullivan will continue to report to Blank.
Rich McKay has been with the organization for 19 years, joining the Falcons as general manager in 2004 and being named president and CEO of the team in 2011. From 1998 until 2011 he was co-chair. He joined the Commission in 1994. During that time, McKay has been instrumental in developing his NFL field product into the unparalleled success it is today.
In recent years, as the team’s president and CEO, McKay has been instrumental in expanding the building, which is now home to the state-of-the-art Emory Orthopedic Center and Primary Ticketmaster Studios, which are attached to the team’s indoor practice facility. He also led a search process that culminated in Arthur Smith being named his 18th head coach for the Falcons and Terry Fontenot becoming his 11th general manager for the Falcons. .
Today, with over 30 years in the NFL, McKay’s experience includes leading efforts to build two current NFL stadiums: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which opened in 2017. is also included. Also building his MBS, a process that began in 2008. McKay also played a role in helping Blank create initial plans for his major league entry into football in 2017 with Atlanta United. Entertainment, the umbrella organization of the Falcons, Atlanta United and MBS.
As CEO of AMBSE, McKay will continue to report to and serve as oversight to AMBSE Vice Chairman Steve Cannon. Falcons’ new president Greg Beadles and his AMBSE president Tim Zulawski, as well as his AMBSE shared services leader, will all report to McKay. McKay will report to Blank as Falcons CEO, with Falcons head coach Arthur Smith and team general manager Terry Fontenott continuing to report to him and oversee day-to-day football operations. . Son of legendary coach John McKay, Rich McKay and his wife Terrin are parents to his two adult sons, John and Hunter. John is the professional personnel director for the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, and Hunter works for Metro.
“Rich has a deep understanding of the NFL and a deep knowledge of the rest of the business in our sports and entertainment portfolio. I’m the only one qualified to play the role, it’s a very important time,” Blank said. “He is an advocate for our core values and the culture we want in our organization, and it gives me great confidence in him as he takes on these important roles going forward.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree from Georgia State University, Beadles began working as an intern with the Atlanta Falcons, entering his 29th year as the club’s president. In nearly his 30 years with the organization, Beadles has been a part of the Falcons and he has been at AMBSE, including being part of the finance team that coordinated the transfer of ownership of the Falcons from the Rankinsmith family to Arthur M. Blank in 2001. It has played many roles. Widely recognized as an expert in team and facility operations and finances, Beadles is highly respected by his peers, peers, and blanks due to his financial acumen, business knowledge, diversity, and strength of personal values. We have built our own trust among ourselves.
Twice CFO of the Year (Atlanta Business Chronicle), Beadles has provided leadership across AMBSE in business strategy, finance, technology, facility development and operations, and data and analytics. Beadles played a leading role in all aspects of the development, financing, design and construction of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, working closely with Rich He McKay.
Since MBS opened in 2017, Beadles has led several functions. This enabled MBS to fulfill Blank’s vision as a best-in-class fan experience venue for sports, entertainment and private events. He also played a key role in the organization’s acquisition of his MLS expansion team, which would later become Atlanta United, and in conceiving and developing AMBSE into one of the leading multi-venue sports and entertainment companies. I was. Outside of his professional role, Beadles serves on the board of directors of the College Football Hall of Fame. He is the Oak Hill in Dacula, Georgia He is the Classic School and co-founding director of the Arete Scholarship Foundation, a non-profit organization that has awarded academic scholarships to 15,000 low-income children since 2010 am.
As President of the Atlanta Falcons, Beadles will report to Rich McKay and will be responsible for the day-to-day oversight of finance, operations, marketing, digital, communications, human resources, community relations, and shared functions related to game presentation, retail and sales. . , and services. Beadles’ father spent his more than 50 years as a basketball coach and director of athletics, primarily in Georgia, so his career, passion for the state, and connection to the Falcons run deep. Beadles, his wife Jill, and their children (Ella, Grant, Evie, and Hudson) live in the Atlanta subway.
“I grew up wearing Steve Bartkowski jerseys and red helmets in my backyard as a kid growing up in Georgia, so my love for the Falcons is part of who I am.” and throughout Arthur’s ownership, we’ve seen first-hand the passion of the fans and the importance of the franchise to this city and state, and we’re thrilled to be able to help Arthur continue as our community continues to grow in the field. A mission to provide a championship team, an organization of which we are very proud, both inside and outside of the company, and sustaining ourselves with the resources necessary to continue to compete at the highest level and positively impact our communities in many ways. To provide possible business.”
“It’s nearly impossible to replicate the institutional knowledge, expertise, and integrity that Greg brings to the table, which has made him invaluable to the organization and to me over the decades,” said Blank. “His trust in us throughout our organization, the NFL and league front office executives is immeasurable and makes him a very good position to take on this new and very important role with the Atlanta Falcons. He has my full trust and confidence.”
