Golden State Group

Background:

On May 5th, 2025 Golden State Group was introduced as the new entity encompassing the Golden State Warriors (NBA) , Valkyries (WNBA), Santa Cruz Warriors (G League), Chase Center, Thrive City, and all future sports and entertainment investments.

The Golden State Warriors were first established in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors, where the franchise won the championship in the inaugural season of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the league that would eventually become the National Basketball Association. The organization has called the Bay Area home since 1962.

On November 15, 2010, the Warriors entered a new era in their history, as the team was acquired by an ownership group led by sports and entertainment fixtures Joe Lacob and Peter Guber. Since purchasing the Warriors, Lacob and Guber have shown commitment to building the brand to the level of NBA elites, both on and off the court. Since 2010, the Warriors have been to six NBA Finals and won four NBA Championships. With a core roster featuring former MVP Stephen Curry, six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler III, and former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green, the team has demonstrated its ability to seamlessly integrate in a remarkably short period, just in time for the playoffs. Off the court, the Warriors have twice been named Sports Business Journal “Team of the Year” and were honored as the Sports Business Journal’s “Team of the Decade.”

Opening Chase Center in the fall of 2019 marked a new era for the organization and has enabled them to take their business to new heights. Chase Center, a privately funded, state-of-the-art arena located in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, has welcomed more than five million fans at over 400 diverse events across sports, music, comedy, theater, family entertainment, and more. Thrive City, the 11-acre district surrounding Chase Center created in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, features over a dozen diverse retail offerings as well as an open plaza that hosts hundreds of free events for the community each year.

Golden State was awarded a WNBA expansion franchise in 2023, the Golden State Valkyries. With the goal of building on the rich history of women's basketball in the Bay Area, the Valkyries tipped off their inaugural season in 2025. The Valkyries have set records, including becoming the first WNBA team on record to eclipse 10,000 season tickets and becoming the first team in women’s sports history to surpass 15,000 season ticket deposits, having since surpassed the 22,000 deposit mark.

The franchise also owns and operates an NBA G League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors, who are four-time NBA G League Franchise of the Year Winners (2017-18, 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2023-24), and the 2014-15 NBA G League Champions. The Santa Cruz Warriors have had 35 front office call ups (16 business office & 19 basketball operations), and 23 all-time player call ups.

Golden State continues to look toward growth and development of their organization. They are only getting started.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer, the Vice President, Premium Sales & Service will play a critical role in driving revenue growth and delivering an exceptional premium client experience across all Golden State Group properties, including the Golden State Warriors (NBA), Golden State Valkyries (WNBA), Santa Cruz Warriors (G League), Chase Center, Golden State Entertainment, and the Golden State Community Foundation.

This leader will be responsible for overseeing all premium sales and service functions, including new business development, client retention, strategic account management, and premium experience design. The VP will develop and execute strategies to achieve and exceed revenue goals, build and lead a high-performing sales and service team, and collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure premium products deliver exceptional value.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Meet or exceed established annual revenue goals, including driving new business and retaining key accounts
• Build and develop a best-in-class premium sales and service team, establishing clear performance expectations, career development plans and a culture of accountability
• Foster a positive, high-energy team culture rooted in cross-departmental collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to delivering exceptional client experiences
• Design and implement innovative prospecting strategies, leveraging data analytics, CRM tools, targeted outreach and internal collaboration to identify, qualify, and convert new suite and premium seating opportunities
• Develop and maintain accurate sales pipelines, dashboards, and reporting tools to track progress toward individual and departmental revenue and retention goals, ensuring full accountability and visibility
• Deliver internal and external presentations with professionalism and proficiency
• Oversee department P&L, ensuring accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual tracking against budget, with proactive adjustments to maximize profitability
• Build positive relationships with clients and prospects via networking, speaking engagements, one-on-one dinners, prospect sampling and seat visits at games, open houses at arena, and offsite meetings
• Participate in community and industry-related events, conferences, associations that enhance brand reputation and potential for success while building new relationships with local, regional and national leaders
• Construct and deliver executive level communications and negotiations with clients
• Lead premium product planning and future enhancements to Chase Center premium hospitality offerings; utilize customer feedback and data to make informed decisions on preferred hospitality offerings and future purchasing habits
• Collaborate with marketing, ticketing, corporate partnerships, and event teams to create integrated sales campaigns, client experiences, and retention strategies
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications, Skills and Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in business administration/hospitality, or equivalent work experience
• 10 years of sales and service experience, preferably within the sports or entertainment industries; 5 years of supervisory management experience
• Proven track record of delivering against aggressive revenue targets
• Network of high-level relationships with key business verticals; experience closing multi-year seven-figure deals
• Understanding of analytical and data frameworks to prospect, sell, and service at the highest levels
• Impeccable understanding of various pricing packaging and go to market strategies aimed at optimizing short term and long term revenue and effective inventory sell through
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Salesforce, LinkedIn, ZoomInfo and related tools
• Ability to write and communicate effective business plans
• Excellent problem solving, communication, and presentation skills
• Ability to balance multiple projects at once and thrive in fast-paced and high intensity work environment

Salary Range:

$200,000 - $250,000

‍