Chad Cardinal

Senior Vice President and Head of Playfly Properties

As Senior Vice President and Head of Playfly Properties, Chad serves as a strategic business leader for ticket sales, premium/hospitality, and corporate partnerships, with additional accountability for strategy and analytics. Chad was promoted to this role in 2024, having previously been the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Operations.

Chad joined the firm in 2015 and has become known for staff retention, long-term thinking, and a relationship-driven approach toward creating win-win situations. He has had the chance to be involved in over 100 professional sports and Division I partnerships in all U.S. time zones.

Before Playfly, Chad served in revenue-generating and leadership roles for nine years within North American major professional sports franchises, focusing on premium sales and ticket sales. On average, he has been directly accountable for about ~$90M in annual revenue.

Originally from Brooklyn Park, MN, Chad was a student-athlete (baseball) and graduated from Mayville State University with a degree in Exercise Science & Sports Management, a minor in Coaching, and a certificate in Information Technology. He is also a graduate of the Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management (MBA).

Outside of Playfly, Chad is a Professor at the Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management, where he teaches within the Applied Behavior Science department to international graduate students. Additionally, he serves as an advisor for a Venture Capital/Private Equity firm located in Silicon Valley. His free time is spent weightlifting, learning jiu-jitsu, and enjoying the outdoors.

Chad, his wife, and their three kids share their time between San Jose, CA, and Boise, ID.