John Penhollow Named President of Business Operations For The Vegas Golden Knights
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John Penhollow Named President of Business Operations For The Vegas Golden Knights
John Penhollow will oversee all business operations and lead all business strategy for the Vegas Golden Knights and Foley Entertainment Group’s Nevada-based sports and venue properties. Kerry Bubolz will transition into a new role as the Chief Civic Affairs and Government Relations Officer. In his role as EVP and CRO with the Vikings, Penh Hollow oversaw all revenue-generating activities for the club including ticket sales as well as corporate partnerships and strategy. He played a critical role in the Vikings’ efforts to design and open two best-in-class facilities: U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened in 2016 and hosted Super Bowl LII in 2018, and Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, which will open in 2018. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Kent State University and owns a Master of Science in Sports Administration from Canisius University. He and his wife, Meredith, have three children, Scarlett, Walker and Grace. For more information, visit VegasGoldenKnights.com.
Following an eight-plus-year tenure as President and CEO, Kerry Bubolz will transition into a new role as the Chief Civic Affairs and Government Relations Officer, where he will continue to serve the Golden Knights organization through multiple Board leadership positions, strategic advisement and cultivating positive relationships with key local and national stakeholders.
“We are thrilled to welcome John Penhollow to the organization as our new President of Business Operations for the Vegas Golden Knights and our Nevada-based sports properties and venues,” said Vegas Golden Knights Chairman and Owner Bill Foley. “John is a transformative leader whose vision and expertise will advance our business teams to new heights. His experience leading business strategy, revenue strategy and organizational development will be invaluable as we enter this exciting new chapter in our club’s history. His impressive record of success with revenue generation and growth aligns well with our core mission of ‘Always Advance, Never Retreat.’
John will build on the terrific work that was accomplished by our business team under Kerry Bubolz over the last eight-plus years. Kerry was instrumental in launching the VGK business and produced exceptional results throughout his tenure. We are grateful for Kerry’s leadership and service and know he will continue to make a significant impact in his new role as Chief Civic Affairs and Government Relations Officer. Kerry will strategically advise the team and perform a variety of critical responsibilities, including working closely on key sponsor and season ticket member relationships.”
In his role as EVP and CRO with the Vikings, Penhollow oversaw all revenue-generating activities for the club including ticket sales as well as corporate partnerships and strategy. He played a critical role in the Vikings’ efforts to design and open two best-in-class facilities: U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened in 2016 and hosted Super Bowl LII in 2018, and Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, which opened in 2018. He worked a total of 12 seasons with the Vikings, where he originally started as the team’s Director of New Stadium Partnerships in 2013 before being elevated to Vice President of Corporate and Technology Partnerships in 2015. During his tenure, Penhollow and his revenue teams led the NFL in both performance and innovation while creating a world-class fan experience and championship-caliber culture.
“From becoming the first major professional sports team to call Las Vegas home, to the immediate and sustained on and off-ice success, the Vegas Golden Knights have been one of the most compelling stories in all of professional sports,” said Vegas Golden Knights President of Business Operations John Penhollow. “I am deeply grateful to Bill Foley and the entire Foley Family for entrusting me to lead the business team into this next chapter. We will honor the foundation that’s been built, continue to raise the bar on guest experience, identify new and innovative ways to evolve the business and position the organization as the gold standard across all of sports and entertainment.”
Prior to his time in Minnesota, Penhollow spent three years with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns as Vice President of Corporate Sales and Service where he took the lead overseeing all revenue-related matters. Penhollow owns additional experience in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees, where he spent three years as the team’s Director of Corporate Sales and Sponsorships. While in New York, Penhollow played a large role in the design and corporate sales of Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009, and was a key member of the organization when the ballclub won the World Series later that year. Penhollow first gained experience in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, where he spent four seasons as their Manager of Marketing Partnerships.
Penhollow owns a Master of Science in Sports Administration from Canisius University and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Kent State University. During his time in Minnesota, Penhollow coached in the Minnetonka Youth Hockey Association and served on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities. Penhollow and his wife, Meredith, have three children, Grace, Scarlett, and Walker.
Bubolz joined the Vegas Golden Knights organization as the club’s President and Chief Operating Officer on October 3, 2016. Under his leadership, the organization has been recognized as an industry and community leader having received a number of high-profile awards and accolades, highlighted by the Sports Business Journal’s Team of the Year Award in 2018.
“Launching the Vegas Golden Knights business team and leading our immensely talented and creative group of linemates for nearly nine years and eight seasons has been the most rewarding experience of my professional career,” said Chief Civic Affairs and Government Relations Officer Kerry Bubolz. “We are all incredibly proud of our ‘Vegas Born’ roots, the remarkable on and off-ice success, and most of all, the genuine connection that exists between our team and all of the Southern Nevada communities. Like Hockey, Community is a Contact Sport and I look forward to continuing to serve and engage our great city and fan base in this new role as Chief Civic Affairs and Government Relations Officer.”
ABOUT THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTSThe Vegas Golden Knights are a National Hockey League franchise owned and operated by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment LLC. Established by Owner and Chairman Bill Foley and his family, the Golden Knights were the most successful expansion franchise in North American professional sports history in 2017-18 and won the Stanley Cup in 2022-23. For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights visit vegasgoldenknights.com and follow the team on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.