Indianapolis Colts

Position Overview

The Chief Commercial Officer (“CCO”) is a senior executive who oversees, leads, and manages the commercial operation of the Indianapolis Colts (“Club”).  This role is responsible for developing, integrating, and executing the Club’s commercial strategy across revenue generation, brand growth, fan engagement, marketing, ticketing, corporate partnerships, premium sales, content, creative, digital innovation, analytics, customer relationship management, and community impact. This role is accountable for aligning the Club’s commercial operation with Ownership’s strategic vision of maximizing short- and long-term value, growing stakeholder engagement, strengthening brand affinity, and delivering a best-in-class professional sports brand and experience for fans, partners, employees, and the community.

The ideal candidate is a proven commercial operator and enterprise leader who can scale complex revenue businesses, lead large cross-functional teams, build trusted relationships, make data-informed decisions, and translate strategy into measurable execution. This individual must model the Club’s mission, values, and leadership expectations while fostering a collaborative culture of trust, curiosity, selflessness, accountability, tenacity, courage, and passion.

Reporting Relationship

The Chief Commercial Officer reports to the Chief Operating Officer and Ownership. The role works closely with the Owner & CEO, Chief Brand Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel, Vice President of People, Culture, & Inclusion, Vice President of Administration and Chief of Staff, and other members of senior leadership to ensure the Club’s commercial strategy is coordinated with the full organizational strategy.

Leadership Scope and Direct Reports

The Chief Commercial Officer leads the Club’s commercial operations and is expected to manage, align, and develop senior leaders across the following functions:

• Senior Vice President of Marketing
• Vice President of Analytics & Digital Innovation
• Vice President of Creative, Content & Media
• Vice President of Corporate Partnerships
• Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service

The CCO is responsible not only for functional performance, but also for evaluating the structure, resources, technology, and leadership capacity needed for the commercial organization to operate effectively and efficiently.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Commercial Strategy

• Develop and lead an integrated commercial strategy that advances the Club’s financial, brand, fan engagement, attendance, partnership, and long-term growth objectives.
• Translate Ownership’s strategic priorities into actionable sales, marketing, partnership, ticketing, digital, content, and fan experience plans.
• Partner with senior leadership to ensure commercial goals are aligned with the Club’s broader business, football, community, brand, and operational objectives.
• Help lead the annual strategic business plan process with Ownership, the Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Vice President of Administration.
• Evaluate commercial opportunities, organizational investments, staffing needs, and resource allocation through a lens of enterprise value creation.

Revenue Growth, Sales, and Partnerships

• Oversee and strengthen all commercial revenue functions, including ticket sales and service, premium sales, suites, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, hospitality, and related product offerings.
• Build and execute strategies to grow local revenue, improve sales performance, deepen partner value, increase customer retention, and identify new market opportunities.
• Lead major commercial relationships and complex deal processes, including high-value corporate partnerships and strategic revenue opportunities.
• Bring the judgment, executive presence, and discipline required to “close the deal” while protecting the Club’s brand, reputation, and long-term interests.
• Ensure sales and partnership teams have clear goals, aligned incentives, disciplined processes, effective tools, and strong accountability systems.
• Collaborate with Administration, Finance, and People, Culture & Inclusion to evaluate and structure compensation plans for corporate partnerships, ticket sales, and other commercial teams as needed.

Marketing, Brand, Content, and Fan Engagement

• Collaborate with Chief Brand Officer to develop and oversee a high-level marketing and brand strategy that reflects the Club’s strategic vision and strengthens the Colts’ position as a best-in-class professional sports brand.
• Lead successful marketing campaigns across inbound, outbound, digital, social, experiential, game day, community, and partner channels.
• Ensure the Club produces purposeful, engaging online and offline content that grows the fanbase, deepens fan engagement, converts customers, and enhances the overall brand experience.
• Oversee the integration of creative, content, game presentation, media, social, digital, events, and campaign planning to deliver consistent and compelling brand storytelling.
• Advance strategies that improve fan engagement, attendance, customer conversion, and emotional connection to the Club.
• Support product innovation and stadium-related commercial strategy, including fan experience enhancements, hospitality opportunities, and live event value creation.

Analytics, Technology, and Customer Relationship Management

• Use data and analytics to drive commercial decision-making, with emphasis on revenue growth, fan engagement, attendance, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
• Ensure the commercial organization effectively uses CRM, enterprise growth tools, marketing technology, ticketing systems, data visualization, and business intelligence platforms.
• Partner with Analytics & Digital Innovation department to improve customer segmentation, campaign performance, sales forecasting, lead generation, partner reporting, and fan insights.
• Monitor customer satisfaction and partner outcomes, using data to continuously improve products, services, experiences, and commercial strategy.
• Promote disciplined data governance, practical technology adoption, and business-user fluency across commercial teams.

Organizational Leadership and Culture

• Possess strong “people skills.”  Lead, manage, coach, and develop a high-performing commercial leadership team with clear expectations, strong communication, and shared accountability.
• Create a culture in which employees feel cared for, supported, challenged, and aligned around the Club’s mission and values.
• Build trust across departments and motivate different types of people and teams, including sales, marketing, creative, finance, analytics, operations, communications, and administration.
• Evaluate organizational structure, processes, and workflows to ensure commercial teams are operating effectively, efficiently, and collaboratively.
• Demonstrate sound judgment, independent thinking, adaptability; and the ability to work through ambiguity in a fast-paced, high-profile environment, and shift seamlessly between big-picture, strategic planning and “hands-on,” “in-the-weeds” execution.

Qualifications and Experience

• Significant executive leadership experience in a commercial, revenue, sales, marketing, business development, strategy, operations, or related leadership role.
• Demonstrated career track record of scaling businesses, growing revenue, leading large teams, improving commercial performance, and building sustainable operating systems.
• Experience leading or working closely with functions such as marketing, ticketing, premium sales, corporate partnerships, events, communications, creative services, community engagement, fan development, customer success, analytics, and digital innovation.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including the ability to understand revenue models, profitability, customer economics, pricing, forecasting, partner value, and P&L implications.
• Strong leadership capabilities and a demonstrated ability to model organizational values in daily decisions, communication, and team management.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, organizational, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Technology and data analytics fluency at the business-user level, including comfort with CRM systems, marketing technology, business intelligence tools, and data-informed decision-making.
• Knowledge of social media, digital engagement, content strategy, and modern fan/customer acquisition strategies.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, think quickly, exercise independent judgment, and perform effectively in a dynamic professional sports environment.
• Previous experience in professional sports, entertainment, media, hospitality, consumer brands, or other fan/customer-facing industries is preferred.
• Previous volunteer, civic, or community service experience is a plus.
• Valid driver’s license and insurable driving record may be required based on business needs.

Desired Candidate Profiles

The Club welcomes candidates with varied commercial leadership backgrounds, provided they can demonstrate the ability to lead enterprise growth, manage complexity, and build high-performing teams. Relevant backgrounds may include:

• A sales leader whose responsibilities expanded into marketing, customer success, partnerships, or broader commercial strategy.
• A marketing leader who evolved into sales optimization, revenue strategy, customer growth, and P&L management.
• A strategy, finance, business development, or operations executive with a track record of commercial growth and organizational scaling.
• A data-informed commercial leader who has used analytics, technology, and customer insights to improve revenue performance, customer engagement, and operational efficiency.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking and enterprise leadership
• Revenue generation and commercial discipline
• Brand stewardship and fan/customer engagement
• Cross-functional collaboration and influence
• People leadership, coaching, and team development
• Analytical judgment and data-informed decision-making
• Executive communication and relationship management
• Operational rigor and accountability
• Innovation, adaptability, and continuous improvement
• Integrity, discretion, and sound judgment

Success Measures

• Growth in local revenue and commercial profitability.
• Improved ticket sales, renewal rates, premium sales, partnership revenue, and customer retention.
• Stronger fan engagement, attendance, brand affinity, customer satisfaction, and stakeholder experience.
• More effective use of CRM, analytics, digital media, and marketing technology to drive decisions and outcomes.
• Clearer commercial organizational structure, stronger team alignment, and improved cross-functional collaboration.
• Successful execution of major campaigns, partnerships, business plans, and strategic initiatives.
• Demonstrated leadership behavior consistent with the Club’s values and culture.