Minnesota Twins Brand Partner Summit

Sean Moore joined the Twins in February of 2022 as the club’s first ever Vice President, Brand Partnerships. In his role, Moore oversees the development and implementation of strategies, plans and programs to enhance the Twins’ sponsorship sales, renewal and partner satisfaction efforts.

Prior to coming to Minnesota, Moore was the Vice President, Multimedia Rights at Playfly Sports, where he successfully expanded the company’s Home Team Sports portfolio across Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League. Sean also spent 12 years with the Chicago Bulls in their ticket sales and corporate partnerships teams, the latter of which he helped lead to notable deals with FanDuel, Nestlé, Clorox, Progressive and Diageo, among others.

Sean, his wife, Morgan, and their three children Rylan, and twins Rory and Remy reside in the Twin Cities.

Rusty Kath is the quick-witted host on the big screen at Minnesota Twins. His off-the-cuff style and ability to reach fans of all ages and demographics have made him a favorite at venues throughout Minnesota and across the country for the better part of a decade.

As the In-Game Host, Rusty conducts interviews, hosts contests, and reads copies before, during, and after events. He also stars in informative and entertaining commercials and segments throughout events.

Rusty has been featured on ESPN2’s Cold Pizza, WCCO radio in Minneapolis, and many online blogs and magazines. He has interviewed the likes of Olympic Gold Medalists Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, and Evan Lysacek, as well as Melora Hardin from The Office, and too many professional athletes to count. He was a play-by-play man at a Paper-Rock-Scissors tournament and has sat alongside announcing legend “Mean” Gene Okerlund calling professional wrestling matches.

When not on the microphone you’ll find Kath working on home and yard projects, golfing, or fishing on Minnesota’s waters (or ice).

Meka Morris, who joined the Twins in August of 2021 as the club’s first-ever Senior Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer, was named Executive Vice President on January 6, 2022. She leads the organization’s collaborative efforts to drive continued business growth and development, with a specific focus on the exploration and optimization of potential new and evolving revenue streams.

Prior to joining the Twins, Morris served as Chief Revenue Officer for Tappit, a global payment and data ecosystem for events, sports stadiums and venues. She successfully led the company’s business expansion into North America, landing deals with several professional sports teams and striking a strategic partnership with LEARFIELD. Morris, a member of the Sports Business Journal’s 2021 “Forty Under 40” class, previously held sales-focused leadership roles for LEARFIELD, Legends Hospitality, Live Nation Entertainment, the Charlotte Hornets, the Oakland Raiders and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

A native of Boston, MA, Meka earned her B.S. in journalism and strategic communications from the University of Kansas, where she was a track and field athlete for the Jayhawks. Her late father, Boston Celtics legend Jo Jo White, had a stellar 12-year NBA career and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Meka, her husband Shaun and their dog, Tyson, reside in downtown Minneapolis.

Amie Hedblom is the Senior Manager of Corporate Sustainability Marketing at Ecolab Inc. where she is responsible for engaging Ecolab associates, customers, and stakeholders on how Ecolab technologies and solutions not only deliver business outcomes that matter but do so at the highest economic and environmental return. Amie has a distinguished track record leading global environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting efforts and executing marketing campaigns centered around climate change, public health and food safety and security. She first joined Ecolab in 2013 as a chemical engineer and is based out of Ecolab’s global headquarters in St. Paul, MN.

In addition to Amie’s work with Ecolab, she is very involved in her community and passionate about the environment. Hedblom has been a member of various groups and boards including the Sustainable Growth Coalition Steering Committee as a member, a volunteer supervisor at Great River Greening, a member of the Minnesota Climate Adaption Partnership, and more.

As Sr Manager, Corporate, ESG and Community Partnerships, Greta leads corporate partnerships and community engagement strategy at US Solar. With several years in marketing communications and corporate social responsibility experience, Greta is a purpose-driven leader who is passionate about expanding access to renewable energy and advancing sustainability initiatives that benefit people and the planet.

In February of 2023, Oriana Raabe began her role as the Senior Director of Environmental Social Governance for Pentair. In addition to this role, she is the President of the Pentair Foundation beginning in May of 2023. Prior to her commitment to ESG at Pentair, she worked in various roles at Ecolab. In 2010, she began as a Principal Microbiologist. In 2014, she was a Program Leader for food, protein, and personal care, before becoming the Senior Program Leader of Protein and Food. Finally, she finished her time with Ecolab as a Corporate Scientist/Director of Corporate Sustainability. Additionally, Oriana spent time at Target as a Food Safety and Quality Specialist.

Raabe graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a BA in Medical Microbiology and Immunology, followed by an MPH in Public Health and a PhD in Food Science from the University of Minnesota.

Nancy O’Brien, who is in her 22nd season with the Twins, was named Vice President, Community Engagement in February of 2019. In her current role, O’Brien leads the team’s extensive community outreach efforts, highlighted by the work of the Twins Community Fund and the club’s Community Engagement department. The engagement team is responsible for delivering on the Twins’ priority to create positive impact in our community, inspire change, create unforgettable experiences and provide opportunities that empower youth.

Prior to shifting to her current role, O’Brien served as the club’s Vice President, Brand Marketing and Senior Director, Brand Marketing. She held a similar position with the Oakland Athletics as their Director of Advertising and Premium Seating, until she returned home to the Twin Cities and joined the Twins.

Nancy, along with husband, John, and children, Danny, Shea and Joey, reside in Plymouth, MN.

Dave Horsman, who is in his 28th season with the Twins, was promoted to Vice President, Ballpark Operations in January of 2020. He joined the Twins in April of 1995 as an office services assistant and has held positions at all levels of stadium operations, most recently as Senior Director of Ballpark Operations.

In his current role, Horsman is responsible for the execution of all Target Field events, including security, guest services, emergency operations and event services. He also oversees day-to-day activities at the ballpark, as well as budgeting and expense management for all facets of ballpark operations.

Horsman serves on the board of Roots For The Home Team, and also holds volunteer positions with Ronald McDonald House Charities – Upper Midwest and the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District.

Dave and his wife, Andrea, reside in Roseville, MN, along with their daughters, Sydney and Natalie.

Ryan Holiday is a writer and media strategist. When he was 19 years old, he dropped out of college to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power. Holiday had a successful marketing career at American Apparel and went on to found a creative agency called Brass Check, which has advised clients like Google, TASER, and Complex, as well as many prominent bestselling authors, including Neil Strauss, Tony Robbins and Tim Ferriss. Ryan is the author of ten books, including The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic, Conspiracy and Stillness is the Key which have sold more than 2 million copies in thirty languages and have a following among NFL coaches, world-class athletes, TV personalities, political leaders, and others around the world. Ryan Holiday spends much of his time on a ranch outside Austin, Texas with his wife Samantha where he does his writing and work in between raising cattle, donkeys and goats.

Terry Clark was named Chief Marketing Officer for UnitedHealth Group in 2014 and added responsibility as Chief Marketing and Customer Officer for Optum in 2022. In this role, Clark leads UnitedHealth Group’s marketing, brand and customer experience efforts – focusing on transforming how people experience the company’s products and services. Previously, Clark served as chief marketing officer, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement, leading UnitedHealthcare’s direct-to-consumer efforts. Clark joined UnitedHealthcare in 2006 from IAC/InterActiveCorp, a consumer marketing and technology company comprised of leading digital brands, where he last served as executive vice president, sales and marketing, for the Entertainment Publications division.

John Baier is currently the VP of Professional Sports at Evolv Technology. Prior to joining Evolv Technology, he worked for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment as the Senior Vice President of Sales from March 2017 to January 2021. Baier has also held positions with the New York Islanders, Brooklyn Nets, and New Jersey Nets. John started his career in 2003 with the New Jersey Devils as an Account Manager. In 2005, he became the Assistant Director of Premium Seating for the New Jersey Nets. John then became the Senior Director of Premium Sales for the Brooklyn Nets in 2011. In 2014, Baier took on the role of Senior Vice President of Ticket Sales for the New York Islanders.

John is an experienced leader and sales professional with a proven history of successful new business development, organizational growth and long-term strategic partnerships. Baier is skilled in relationship building and marketing strategy, operations and problem solving/decision making. Additionally, he is passionate about developing and retaining diverse talent while exceeding revenue expectations.

Erin Newkirk is an award-winning innovator with rich leadership in tech, food, retail, consumer packaged goods, and healthcare; spanning start-ups to growth companies to billion-dollar brands. She currently serves as the Chief Brand & Marketing Officer for Caribou Coffee. Erin and her team hold themselves accountable for how Caribou's brand comes to life across all touchpoints while keeping team, guests, and global responsibility as central guideposts.

Erin’s brand-management career began at General Mills, after earning an MBA at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. In 2005, Erin co-founded Red Stamp, a digital correspondence app. With over 2 million users and 10 million cards sent, Red Stamp was best known for its award-winning mobile app and was acquired in 2013 by Taylor Corporation, one of the largest privately held companies in the United States. Erin, who stayed on as Red Stamp’s CEO until 2016, recalls multiple meetings and strategy sessions at her local Caribou Coffee while launching that venture.

After leaving Red Stamp and before coming to Caribou Coffee, Erin served as the founding chief marketing officer at Minneapolis-based health insurance startup Bright Health, advised meal-kit company Local Crate on their 2018 retail transformation, and supported passionate founders of startups on how to work their best life through her consultancy, Satya. She is an active speaker, mentor, advisor (ModernWell, Omnia Fishing), and board member (TurnSignl).

Chris Iles uses sport as a platform to expand the boundaries of human experience, while pushing the Minnesota Twins to set the standard for innovation in sports and entertainment.

He helped launch, and currently provides oversight for, the Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars, a collaborative venture that invests in 10 early-stage tech startups on an annual basis. The program – the first of its kind in Minnesota sports and just the second such venture to be operated and funded by a Major League Baseball club – is designed to expand the Twins brand beyond baseball, infuse innovation across the organization’s culture, and create a new long-term revenue stream for the club.

Chris has long been instrumental in introducing and integrating new fan engagement technologies, including the first metaverse activation in professional sports (“Twins XR” with REM5 Studios in 2021) and the world’s first shared, stadium-scale augmented reality application (“The Twiniverse” with ARound in 2022). He also introduced Twins fans to embodied audio technology in 2022 through Target Field’s ResonX Sound Lounge, developed in partnership with EDGE Sound Research (Minnesota Twins Accelerator class of 2022). Iles has pioneered mobile applications for nearly a decade, helping the Twins set the industry standard for free-to-play gaming and related sponsorship in partnership with MLB, Sideline Sports, SportsDigita, Satisfi Labs and Tally.

Chris has also been crucial in bringing gaming, esports and virtual reality activations to Twins fans at Target Field. Activations include the Twins Gaming Dugout with Wisdom Gaming in 2018 and 2022, Home Run Derby VR with MLB in 2018 and 2019, Mascot VR with Wallride Games/PixelFarm in 2019, and Twins Tiles/Twins Trivia with LiveFront in 2016 and 2017.

In addition to innovation, his experience in sports spans all disciplines of marketing and communications, having overseen creation of the Minnesota Twins’ social media presence, digital marketing capabilities and in-house creative team.

Chris Iles began his career at the Twins in corporate communications, overseeing media relations related to the team’s move from the Metrodome to Target Field. A communicator at heart, he seeks to tell relevant stories that engage key audiences and inspire meaningful action resulting in significant business impact.

Before joining the Twins, Iles worked in corporate communications at Minnesota-based HealthPartners and Padilla.

Dave St. Peter was named the fourth president in Minnesota Twins history on November 26, 2002. St. Peter also assumed the Chief Executive Officer title on December 21, 2016 and continues to oversee the team’s day-to-day operations, strategic planning and interaction with Major League Baseball.

The “Twins Tradition” of Passion, Hustle, Heart and Fun has flourished under St. Peter’s stewardship. Seven times, the Twins have been honored by the Star Tribune as one of the “Top 100” workplaces in Minnesota. In 2011, the Twins were celebrated by the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board with its “Living the Dream” Award. The Twins Community Fund, which celebrated its 30th year in 2021, was honored in 2000 with the Greater Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce’s Quality of Life Award and in 2006 with a Project EverGreen Stewardship Award. In 2016, the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce presented the Twins with an “Honored Company” Award in recognition of outstanding community service. Since 2012, the Twins have been a Yellow Ribbon Company in recognition of the club’s support for veterans as well as active-duty soldiers. In 2019, the U.S. Green Building Council selected the Twins as a recipient of the prestigious Greenbuild Leadership Award recognizing excellence in the creation of healthier, more sustainable buildings and communities.

Individually, St. Peter has been named to the SBJ’s and Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s “Forty under 40” lists. In 2018, he was recognized by the Positive Coaching Alliance as Minnesota’s Triple-Impact Competitor Business Executive of the Year.

At the league level, St. Peter serves as a Trustee on the MLB-MLBPA Player Pension Committee. In the community, St. Peter co-chairs Minnesota Sports and Events. He also serves on the boards of the YMCA of the North, NuLoop Partners and the University of North Dakota Alumni Association & Foundation.

St. Peter was born in Bismarck, North Dakota, and graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1989. Dave has three grown sons – Jack, Eric and Ben – and makes his home in Chanhassen, MN.

Derek Falvey was named President of Baseball Operations in November of 2019 after serving under the title of Executive Vice President, Chief Baseball Officer since October of 2016. Under Falvey’s leadership, the Twins have compiled a record of 451-419 (.518) and have reached the postseason three times in his six seasons, winning the American League Wild Card in 2017 and the American League Central Division in both 2019 and 2020. In addition, the 2019 Twins posted a record of 101-61 for the second-most wins in Twins/Senators franchise history, trailing only the 1965 club that finished 102-60.

As the President of Baseball Operations, Falvey is responsible for establishing the vision and related strategies for the club’s baseball operations. Specifically, he oversees all aspects of the department, including: the major league team, coaches and support staff; contract negotiations; player development; scouting; research and development; medical; and communications. Falvey is the sixth head of the Twins’ Baseball Operations department, joining Calvin Griffith (1961-84), Howard Fox (1985-86), Andy MacPhail (1986-94), Bill Smith (2007-11) and Terry Ryan (1994-2007, 2011-16). He was named to Twin Cities Business’ list of “100 People to Know” in both 2017 and 2018.

Falvey’s career in baseball started with Cleveland in November of 2007 when he began an internship in Baseball Operations. After several seasons assisting both the Amateur and International Scouting departments, and as the Assistant Director of Baseball Operations, he was promoted to Director of Baseball Operations in December of 2011, then elevated to Assistant General Manager in 2016.

During his time in Cleveland, Derek assisted President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti and General Manager Mike Chernoff in all areas of baseball operations, including financial, statistical, and contractual dealings, and also contributed to all aspects of professional and amateur player procurement and development. He also oversaw the advance scouting process and worked closely with Manager Terry Francona and the major league coaching staff to assist in the day-to-day management of major league operations.

Derek played baseball at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, where he earned a degree in Economics in June of 2005. After graduating, Falvey returned home to the Boston, MA area, where he worked until joining the Cleveland organization.

Derek resides in Edina, MN, with his wife, Meghan, their sons, Jack and Ryan, and daughter, Brynn.

Joe Pohlad was named Executive Chair of the Minnesota Twins in November 2022. Previously, Joe served as the Vice President, Marketing, where he was responsible for oversight of the club’s marketing and communications efforts, including brand marketing, content production, game day experience and innovation. Upon graduating from Stonehill College in Easton, MA with a B.A. in Communications, Joe began his career at the Twins in 2007, where he has since held various positions within the organization, including in the areas of marketing, baseball, and operations. He was named to Twin Cities Business’ list of “100 People to Know” in 2020.

In 2015, Joe became CEO of Go Media, home to radio station Go 96.3. Under Joe’s leadership, Go Media diversified its format and reach in the Twin Cities region. He led the transition of 96.3 from a classic rock and Twins Baseball format to modern alternative and, with the purchase of 95.3, launched a modern hip hop station in 2016.

Joe resides in Edina, MN, with his wife, Sara, and their sons Sam, Noah and Isaac.