Mark Lamping, the president and CEO of MetLife Stadium, home to the Jets and Giants, was named today as president of the Jacksonville Jaguars, effective Monday, Feb. 27.
The appointment of Lamping was announced this morning by new Jaguars owner Shahid Khan. Lamping will be responsible for all non-football facets of the operation, reporting to Khan. Jaguars general manager Gene Smith will continue to report directly to Khan.
Jets chairman and CEO Woody Johnson, Giants president and CEO John Mara, and Giants chairman and executive vice presidenet Steve Tisch issued a joint statement on Lamping's departure:
"Mark joined our team in 2008 as construction on our new home in the Meadowlands was just beginning, and in many ways he helped to guide the building of our stadium. From the onset, as home to two NFL franchises, our stadium project was unlike any other, and Mark's guidance and business expertise were critical to our success. We will always be grateful for his invaluable leadership."
Khan said the addition of Lamping to his team "is a very important and exciting development in the rebirth of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mark will bring to the Jaguars and to the Jacksonville community a mix of sports and brand marketing, stadium management expertise and team front office leadership that is very difficult to find in one person. Mark's résumé speaks for itself and I am very grateful to the Giants and Jets for making it possible for the Jaguars to present Mark with a new challenge and the prospect of success here in Jacksonville."
"The Jacksonville Jaguars have vast potential, and I'm honored that Shahid Khan is asking me to play a leadership role in reaching that potential," Lamping said. "We have the opportunity to revitalize the franchise and build something special, memorable and hopefully historic for the league, our partners and especially Jaguars fans, who wlll be central to our mission. My wife Cheryl and I are ready to get started and excited to make Jacksonville our home."
The Jets won't have to wait long to meet up again with their stadium's former president, since they will play Lamping's Jaguars at ALLTEL Stadium in the 2012 season.
Lamping's career has been highlighted by three key stops:
■ A native of St. Louis, Lamping served Anheuser-Busch in a variety of capacities from 1981-93, including brand management and eventually as the global company's group director of sports marketing. While at Anheuser-Busch, Lamping managed the company's television and radio sports production division and all domestic and international sports marketing activities for its beer brands, including sponsorship agreements for the Olympics, FIFA World Cup and all North American major professional sports.
■ In 1994 Lamping was named president of his hometown St. Louis Cardinals. He was responsible for business and facility operations among many other duties on behalf of the baseball club and played a significant role in the renovation of the old Busch Stadium and subsequent revitalization of the Cardinals franchise in the mid-Nineties. He later led the development and funding of the new Busch Stadium, which opened in April 2006. The Cardinals won five division titles, two National League pennants and the World Series championship in 2006 while Lamping was president, drawing more than 3 million fans for nine consecutive seasons.
■ In 2008 Lamping accepted the position of president and CEO of New Meadowlands Stadium, which is now MetLife Stadium, the 50-50 venture between the Jets and Giants. Lamping reported to a board of directors that included both teams' owners and was responsible for overseeing all facets of stadium development, construction and operation, including business operations, sponsorship sales, marketing, event business, and new media. He was a major force in helping to bring Super Bowl XLVIII to MetLife Stadium in 2014.
Lamping holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo., and a master's degree in business administration from Saint Louis University. He and his wife have three children.
