KemperLesnik, an award-winning public relations, events, sports marketing, and content marketing agency, has named John Knebel as its newest vice president of sales in the sports sponsorship space. Bringing over two decades of sports sales experience, Knebel joins KemperLesnik to help build upon its successful portfolio of sports marketing and events properties, including the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, CBS Sports Classic and McDonald’s All American Games. Knebel has worked with some of the world’s leading brands, such as Capital One, GEICO, Lexus, PNC Bank and Kroger. The agency will leverage his wealth of experience for the growth of KemperLesnik’s event activation and sponsorship business.
“I am excited to return to the agency world and join the KemperLesnik team,” said Knebel. “KemperLesnik is known to create and execute world-class events and is poised for growth. I’m honored to be a part of that growth and look forward to helping the agency expand as more people get vaccinated and we get closer to the other side.”
Knebel spent more than a decade in sponsorship sales with both the MLB and the NHL, serving franchises such as the Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Coyotes. With each organization, he developed new sponsorship strategies, activations and inventory while driving millions of dollars in new revenue, setting sponsorship sales records with each team. Knebel received his undergraduate degree from the College of William & Mary, and his MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.
“We are confident that John’s extensive background in the sports sponsorship and sales will complement our existing team of powerhouse sports marketing and sales professionals, and we could not be more thrilled to welcome John to KemperLesnik,” said Tom Valdiserri, Executive Vice President/Managing Director of KemperLesnik. “We are always looking for new, big ways to impact our business, and expanding with quality talent like John helps us continue to accomplish just that.”
