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October 10-12, 2017
Atlanta, GA

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KEVIN WARREN

Chief Operating Officer, MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Kevin Warren was named Chief Operating Officer of the Minnesota Vikings on February 12, 2015. Warren’s extensive experience in all business facets of the organization create the perfect foundation for him to lead the business operations of the organization. 
Since being promoted to COO, Warren has continued to play a critical role in all business, legal and operational facets related to U.S. Bank Stadium. Warren has also played a key role in the design, development and planning of Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, the new Minnesota Vikings headquarters in Eagan, in addition to the ancillary real estate development.  
Warren enters his 19th NFL season and 13th with the Vikings in 2017. He is the highest-ranking African-American executive working on the business side for a team in the NFL and is the first African-American COO in NFL history. 
Prior to joining the Vikings, Warren worked with the international law firm of Greenberg Traurig.  Additionally, he spent two seasons with the Detroit Lions as Senior Vice President of Business Operations & General Counsel and four seasons with the St. Louis Rams as Vice President of Football Administration, and Vice President of Player Programs & Football Legal Counsel. Warren was with the Rams organization when they won Super Bowl XXXIV over the Tennessee Titans.
Warren earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Grand Canyon University in 1986, his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University in 1988, and his Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Notre Dame School of Law in 1990. Warren is a licensed attorney with the State Bar of Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota (House Counsel-Rule 10), and the District of Columbia.
Philanthropy is an integral part of Warren’s life and he and his wife Greta, are active members of the Minneapolis-St. Paul community. In 2012, the Warren family “adopted” Lucy Craft Laney Community School in Minneapolis, which is predominantly African-American and has 98 percent of its student population coming from underserved communities. The Warren family has donated over 3,600 backpacks to students at Lucy Laney and other Twin Cities elementary schools. 
 In December 2014, Kevin and Greta created Carolyn’s Comforts in conjunction with the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital and are donating $1 million to a pediatric emergency care assistance fund, to honor the legacy of his sister Carolyn Elaine Warren-Knox who passed away of brain cancer. Since the inception of Carolyn’s Comforts, over 175 financial grants have been made to families in need. 
In 2017, Kevin and Greta launched the “No Doors Closed” scholarship program, selecting high-school seniors from District 191, who will be first generation college students. Each student was awarded with a four year, $5,000 per year academic scholarship to attend their college institution of choice. Kevin and Greta plan to continue awarding four scholarships annually over the next four years until a total of 16 students are in the program on a perpetual basis. 
Warren places a priority on civic leadership and engagement, serving on several charitable boards, in addition to serving on a publically traded board and has been recognized on a national basis for his leadership in the business and charitable communities.