Those who know Predators President & COO Sean Henry best professionally "point to his passion as his defining characteristic," according to a front-page profile by Nate Rau of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. Henry is "quick-witted, and fast-talking," with the "aura of a salesman who could sell anything." Predators Chair Tom Cigarran said of Henry, "He has terrific values as a person. ... He’s just great with people, and he’s a very good judge of people." Henry along with outgoing Predators CEO Jeff Cogen have "already turned around the Predators' business operation, which was troubled when they were hired" in '10. Henry will be the "next CEO" of the team upon Cogen's departure in February. The season before Henry and Cogen took over, the Predators "had three sellouts, the ownership group was entrenched in turmoil and forced to pump their own money into operations, relations with the city were strained and a renegotiation of their lease at Bridgestone Arena was looming." This season, the team "expects at least 36 sellouts, ownership drama has faded away," Cigarran "says incoming cash flow will exceed outgoing cash, and the Predators’ relationship with Metro is stable." Rau writes perhaps "nothing has improved under the leadership of Henry and Cogen more" than the franchise’s relationship with the city of Nashville. In addition, Henry and Cogen have put the Predators "at the forefront of several sports business trends." Henry said that his "favorite accomplishment isn’t the upgrades at Bridgestone," but rather the "success of the Ford Ice Center" in Antioch, Tenn. The Predators "use the facility for some training and practices, but Ford Ice is primarily a marketing tool to draw more kids to the sport of hockey" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 12/1).
