ATLANTA – Blank Family of Businesses Owner and Chairman, Arthur M. Blank, announced Monday the promotions of five senior executives to new roles and responsibilities within the Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE) portfolio. AMBSE includes the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.
Steve Cannon, currently CEO of AMBSE, has been named vice chairman of AMBSE. He will work closely with Blank on overall business strategy, oversight of AMBSE, and key strategic growth initiatives. He will maintain his seat on the MLS Board of Governors and Atlanta United CEO and President Garth Lagerwey will continue reporting to him.
“Steve has been an exceptional day-to-day leader of our for-profit businesses and a valued associate member of our Family Foundation board,” said Blank. “He is a trusted leader and advisor who lives our Core Values in all that he does so I’m thrilled to have him by my side during the next evolution of our businesses as we craft the roadmap for the future for AMBSE.”
Four additional executives have also been promoted across AMBSE. Rich McKay has been named CEO of AMBSE and will continue in his role as CEO of the Atlanta Falcons. Greg Beadles has been elevated to president of the Atlanta Falcons and has assumed day-to-day leadership of all business functions for the franchise. AMBSE Chief Revenue Officer Tim Zulawski has been elevated to president of AMBSE and a search for a new chief commercial officer to oversee sponsorship will begin shortly. Dietmar Exler has been promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and continues as CEO of the Arthur M. Blank Family Office.
“I’ve always believed leadership continuity and thoughtful succession planning are hallmarks of great organizations and we have been intentional in developing an exceptional, deep group of seasoned executives to lead our businesses into the future,” said Blank. “These new roles are reflective of how each of these leaders embody our Core Values and their outstanding performance over the years. I’m grateful for their loyal, dedicated, and excellent service to our businesses, associates, and partners, as well as to me and my family. They deserve these opportunities, and I couldn’t be more confident they will continue to lead our businesses with a sharp focus on our fans, customers, guests, and associates at the highest standards, while continuing to foster a culture that is representative of our values.”
These five leaders have a combined 78 years of experience in Blank’s organization – Cannon (seven years), McKay (19 years), Beadles (28 years), Zulawski (20 years) and Exler (four years) and three of them (Cannon, McKay and Exler) have previous CEO experience.
Late in 2022, Blank announced C-suite promotions within his PGA TOUR Superstore (PGATSS) business with CEO Dick Sullivan adding executive chairman duties and Jill Spiegel being promoted to president of PGATSS. Sullivan will continue reporting directly to Blank.
To learn more about the structure of Atlanta United, please CLICK HERE.
About Cannon:
Steve Cannon assumed the AMBSE CEO role in February of 2016 and has been at the helm during a period of unprecedented growth of Blank’s for-profit businesses. In that time, the organization opened Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS); launched Atlanta United; and experienced exponential growth of its PGA TOUR Superstore retail business, among many other milestones.
During Cannon’s tenure, AMBSE has changed the sports and entertainment industry for the better, with several innovations including the award-winning MBS food and beverage pricing program; MBS becoming the first stadium in America to go completely cashless; and MBS becoming the first stadium in the world to achieve True Zero Waste certification by the Green Business Certification Inc. Other achievements during his tenure as CEO include Atlanta United winning the Major League Soccer Cup in 2018, just a year after the debut of the club was hailed by Sports Illustrated as the greatest launch of a sports franchise in history; several impactful community-focused efforts, including MBS becoming the largest vaccination site in the southeast during the COVID-19 pandemic; opening of Atlanta United’s Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground; and expansion of the Atlanta Falcons facility to include the state-of-the-art Ticketmaster Studios.
In 2021 Cannon was selected as the NFL’s Salute to Service Award winner in recognition of his tireless efforts to make AMBSE the standard of excellence when it comes to honoring and supporting America’s military, especially families and friends of the fallen.
As vice chairman, Cannon will continue reporting to Blank. He will work closely with Blank on overall business strategy, oversight of AMBSE, and key strategic growth initiatives. He will maintain his seat on the MLS Board of Governors and Atlanta United CEO and President Garth Lagerwey will continue reporting to him. Cannon, a 1986 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and his wife Ann are the parents of nine children and reside in metro Atlanta.
