Minnesota Wild Announces Executive Promotions

SAINT PAUL, Minn. -Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE) and Minnesota Wild Owner and Governor Craig Leipold announced today three executive promotions to strategically position the organization for future evolution and continued growth.

Matt Majka, most recently serving as President and Alternate Governor, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of MSE, which includes the Minnesota Wild, Iowa Wild and Saint Paul Arena Company (SPAC), the manager and operator of Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul RiverCentre, Roy Wilkins Auditorium, TRIA Rink, Herbie's On The Park and 317 On Rice Park.

"Matt's steadfast leadership over the past 25 years has successfully propelled our organization through tremendous growth, moments of adversity and continuous evolution," said Leipold. "His contributions to the State of Hockey are immeasurable. I'm excited to work with him as we craft our vision for the future."

In his new role, Majka will drive continued innovation, growth and focus on exceptional experiences across the organization. He will have responsibility for all business units, continuing to report to Leipold. With the Wild from its infancy, Majka has been instrumental in nurturing the team's brand and the unique relationship between the team and its fans. He is known for his dedication to creating a Greater State of Hockey in all respects.

"I'm both excited and humbled to lead our organization in this new capacity," said Majka. "It's hard to believe, but we are now a seasoned organization with valuable perspective and experience. Yet, we have never been satisfied with our results. We are always striving to be better, to challenge ourselves, and to create the best experience possible for our fans and guests across all our businesses. I've been fortunate to work with an incredible team of people over the years and I've never been more energized about what's ahead."

Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin will add President of Hockey Operations to his title, an executive advisory role in addition to his team-development duties. Under his impressive leadership, the Wild achieved consecutive 100-point seasons for the second time in franchise history and have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs all four seasons, while amassing a top-ranked prospect pool and balancing challenging salary cap constraints. Guerin will continue to report to Leipold in his expanded role.

"Four years ago, Bill brought his championship pedigree to our organization and the improvements he's made to our hockey team and organization are self-evident," said Leipold. "The results are both tangible and intangible and he continues to demonstrate his talent for building a Stanley Cup contending team. We are excited about what the future holds for fans in the State of Hockey."

Mitch Helgerson, currently Senior Vice President of Marketing and Broadcasting, has been promoted to Chief Revenue Officer. In his new role, Helgerson will oversee all revenue streams for the organization including ticket sales and service, corporate partnerships, premium seating, retail, and broadcast partnerships.

"Mitch has a proven talent for taking our organization to new frontiers," said Leipold. "He piloted the development of our business intelligence team, which was unrivaled in professional sports at the time, and continues to creatively optimize opportunities for our organization in a hyper-competitive marketplace."

In his 18 years with the organization, Helgerson has served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing Intelligence, Senior Director of Marketing Intelligence and Special Projects and Director of Finance. Prior to his time with the Wild, Helgerson worked in finance at Ecolab, Inc. He will continue to report to Majka.

"Across the board, we are making great strides as an organization and I believe in the talent of our entire leadership team to continue building on that momentum," Leipold concluded.