Chad Cardinal

Senior Vice President, Strategy & Operations

As Senior Vice President of Strategy & Operations, Chad is involved in the firm’s Fan Relationship Management (ticket sales & service, fundraising, ticket operations, and ticket marketing), Corporate Sponsorships, Strategy, Analytics, Marketing, Legal, and Business Development departments.

Chad joined The Aspire Group in 2015 and has become known for staff retention, long-term thinking, and a relationship-driven approach toward creating win-win situations. In advance of joining Aspire, Chad was fortunate to serve in roles that have included multiple professional sports leagues (NBA, WNBA, MLS, and NHL), new stadium builds, and be accountable for annual revenue targets north of $100M.

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 & certificate in Information Technology. He is also a graduate of the Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management (MBA).

Outside of Aspire, 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 and a bank he helped found, both of which are located in the Silicon Valley.

Chad, his wife, Katie, and their daughters, Emery and Maya, live on the West Coast.