Tim Connolly

Timothy M. Connolly is an American business executive was a senior executive for four National Football League teams. Prior to working in sports, Connolly was the CEO of Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems.

Early life Connolly is son of a United States Navy Chief Boatswain's Mate and dive instructor and spent his childhood living in San Diego, Boston, Naples, Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Norfolk, Virginia before settling down in Washington, D.C.

Career Early career Connolly began his business career as a salesman for IBM, where he worked his way up to sales management. In 1988, Connolly was appointed president and chief operating officer at Sorbus, another Bell Atlantic subsidiary.

Kansas City Chiefs In 1988, Kansas City Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson hired Connolly to help the team with marketing. Under Peterson and Connolly, the Chiefs worked to improve the gameday experience by stressing pre-game entertainment and tailgating. They also sought to make the team more accessible by putting its games on FM radio station and having players travel in caravans to neighboring states. Season ticket sales increased by 5,269 in Connolly's first year in Kansas City, then by 7,862, 13,142 and 12,733 in the three years before the team cut it off at 65,000. Connolly also oversaw an oversee a number of administrative changes, including hiring a new director of public relations, director of finance, director of marketing, director of sales, and director of stadium operations. In 1994 he was given the title of chief operating officer. However, he returned to work for Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt as president of the Hunt Sports Group, which oversees Hunt's other sports holdings. However, unlike most general managers, he did not have a say in football operations, which were handled by Jeff Diamond, Dennis Green, and Rob Brzezinski. After leaving, Minnesota, Connolly joined an equity firm that attempted to purchase the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes.

Green Bay Packers In 2010, Connolly was hired by the Green Bay Packers to be the team's vice president of sales and marketing. He oversaw marketing, sponsorships, retail operations, premium sales, and guest services.

QuintEvents In 2014, Connolly joined QuintEvents, a travel, experience and hospitality provider, as a principal.