Catching Up With Chargers VP & CMO Ken Derrett

Derrett Says He's Always Been A Big Football Fan

Ken Derrett spent much of his professional life working in Canada before departing for sun-soaked San Diego in ’01. The Winnipeg native managed Labatt Breweries’ sports interests from ’88-95 before being named NBA Canada Managing Dir in ’96. Derrett next made the move to the NBA's HQs in the Big Apple after being tabbed as Senior VP/Global Marketing Partnerships, a role he served in from '99-'01. With the Chargers, Derrett is responsible for all marketing and sales functions for the team, and over the last few years, he has significantly helped grow the club’s revenue base in premium seat sales, sponsorships and broadcasting. Derrett recently took a short break from the busy NFL preseason to speak with Staff Writer Sarah Gay Barnett about life on the West Coast and how the economy is affecting the Chargers.

Web sites you visit daily: NFL.com, MSN, ESPN.
Hours spent online per day: A little more than an hour.
Device you can’t live without: Blackberry.
Favorite sport to watch: I’ve always been a big football fan.
Favorite TV shows: “24” and “Prison Break.”
Book you are currently reading: I just finished reading Jim Nantz’ “Always By My Side.” It was great. He’s just such a great talent.
Hours spent at the beach: You’d like to think a lot, but I probably try to get out there to walk or to play volleyball once a month.
Favorite restaurant in San Diego area: Donovan’s Steak and Chop House in La Jolla.

Q: How are ticket sales for the Chargers heading into the season? What business issues are you most concerned with going into the season?

Derrett: Our season ticket sales were slightly off from last year. We’re working really hard to try and make up for that with individual game sales. … We’ve been much more aggressive the last probably six months with our sales efforts with season ticket sales and individual game sales. We had a sales operation with our friends at the Wasserman Media Group up in L.A. We’ve expanded our inside sales operation here in San Diego. So, I think since before the season ended last year, we were sort of getting prepared for the way the economy was going. We’ve continued to work really hard and probably been a lot more innovative and aggressive in how we’ve advertised and really tried to segment the market by interest or zip code, identification of where fans are, things like that. … We’re not immune from what’s going on in the economy. I think California’s probably been hit as hard, if not the hardest of any state. ...  That’s something we’re all living with and having to try and address.

Q: What are your thoughts on the league’s effort to allow teams to sell practice jersey deals and lottery sponsorships?

Derrett: We’re excited about both categories. We feel we can hopefully generate some unique value for companies in both categories. We just reached an agreement with the California state lottery and are having conversations with prospective practice jersey sponsors, so we do think it’s a great opportunity.

Q: What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

Derrett: I think I’ve been fortunate that in my last couple of jobs I’ve been involved with groups and in companies who’ve had a specific objective they had to accomplish. On the NBA side, we helped launch the league in Canada back in the mid ‘90s. Then, when I went to New York, I was able to be part of a group that was coming out of a lockout and building up the global marketing partnership efforts. Coming here was being part of a new group that was charged with retooling the marketing and sales efforts. We’ve had some pretty good growth over the last five years. I think it’s being part of these groups of people who have really accomplished some meaningful things. 

Q: How do you like living in San Diego?

Derrett: This is a very special place for anybody, but especially for our family. We’ve really grown to be part of the community here and we love the outdoors. I certainly don’t miss snow shovels or freezing temperatures. Having spent most of my life in Canada prior to coming here, the chance to live in a place like this and work for the NFL and the kind of owner we have, it’s pretty much just a great combination. ... We’re fortunate in San Diego; we don’t live too far from the coast. We’re probably a five minute drive from the beach. … You take it for granted sometimes, but it’s nice to know that you can go there for a walk in the morning on a weekend or go for dinner there.

Q: How often do you get to return to Canada?

Derrett: Unfortunately, not as much as we’d like because I find that most of our family and friends want to come visit us here. Probably about once a year if I can, but like I said, it just seems to be a constant influx of people who come down here now.

Q: Roger Goodell and Tod Leiweke just climbed Mt. Rainier over the off-season. Any mountain climbing in your future, or do you have another goal outside of work?

Derrett: Not sure I’ll be heading to achieve those kinds of unbelievable accomplishments. But I think maybe long-term I want to try and continue to look for ways to be able to help in some community endeavors. I’ve been doing a couple of small things here and I think long-term, I’d like to explore some of that.