Age: 39
New title: Vice president of corporate marketing, Milwaukee Brewers
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| Hecht |
Previous job: Director of marketing partnerships, Phoenix Suns
First job: I worked in my dad’s pharmacy
Education: Bachelor of arts, history, political science, diplomacy and foreign affairs (1988), Miami (Ohio) University; attended the master’s program in sport management at Ohio University (1990)
Resides: Milwaukee
Grew up: Cincinnati
Brand most admired: Pepsi/Gatorade
Favorite vacation spot: Lake Tahoe
Last book read: “The Fred Factor : How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary” by Mark Sanborn
Favorite movie: “Hoosiers”
Favorite musician: The Eagles
Tom Hecht was part of the Phoenix Suns’ amazing turnaround during the 2004-05 NBA season, and he hopes to be part of a similar revival with the Milwaukee Brewers. He spoke recently with staff writer Brandon McClung.
What is the biggest challenge in your new position?
The industry has really changed over the last 10 years. There is a lot more today in regards to justifying the partnership in terms of seeing tangible results, so the packages today have to be more creative. The packages have to be designed more to driving people to retail and making the tangible results viewable.
What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?
Asking my wife, who is from San Francisco, to move to the desert of Phoenix when I was going to work in minor league baseball. It wasn’t an easy move, but it was a great move for us.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment?
I think it was what I was able to be involved with last year in Phoenix with the Suns. Witnessing the second- or third-greatest turnaround in NBA history was a great accomplishment. That was just on the court, but we also saw huge gains in attendance and in corporate sponsorships. Over a four-year period we had worked on completely renovating the America West Arena [and] everything came together last year both on and off the court.
What is your biggest professional disappointment?
Maybe it can still happen, but being with the Suns, we owned and operated the (AFL) Phoenix Rattlers and when NBC became involved with the Arena Football League people believed it was going to take it to the next level and be the fifth major sport and that just never happened. I think the story is still yet to be told because it is really a great product.
Tell us a little more about the Brewers’ last home game of the season, when all fans were admitted free.
With the new ownership coming in this year, it was Mark (Attanasio)’s way of saying thank you to the fans for being some of the best fans in baseball. It says a lot about him and says a lot about how he plans on running this franchise into the future.
