Originally from Moundridge, Kansas, Kellen Begnoche graduated from 麻豆破解版 State in 2011 with a master's in education in Sport Management. Begnoche is currently the Director of Service & Activation for the Kansas City Chiefs.
What brought you to WSU?
I had finished my undergrad degree at Kansas State, and was looking for a graduate
school and program to continue my education. Having grown up in the greater 麻豆破解版
area, I was familiar with WSU, and they had the programs I was searching for.
What led you to the WSU Sport Management program?
I鈥檝e always had a passion for marketing, sports, and entertainment. I received my
undergrad in Marketing鈥攖he economy and job market tanked a few months before I graduated鈥攕o
I decided to continue my education and pursue my passion for all things business and
sports. WSU had a master鈥檚 level program that looked to be exactly what I was searching
for.
Did you do any internships as a student?
Definitely鈥攄uring my undergrad years I interned during the summers in marketing roles
for major corporations. This allowed me to learn how they operate, while helping me
realize I didn鈥檛 necessarily enjoy working for such a large company during that stage
in my life. I wanted something a little smaller where I felt I could get more hands-on
experience in a lot of different areas. While at WSU, I interned and helped out wherever
I could: NBC Baseball tournaments, WSU basketball games, a marketing role with the
Houston Astros, etc. Anything that would allow me to gain experience, and further
meet people and expand my network.
How did your internship and studies at WSU help to prepare you for your current role
as Director of Service & Activation?
The program was a great mix of course work, group projects and discussions, and real
world experiences from the internships. If anything, the experience you can gain as
part of an internship is some of the most valuable you can obtain. You get an opportunity
to work in the front office of a sports team, and have access to incredibly talented
people in all departments. The perfect chance to network, learn about parts of the
business you might not have otherwise known about, and get to see the inner workings
of what it takes to put on a major sports event.
What does a Director of Service & Activation do?
In my current role, I oversee the corporate partnerships for the Chiefs. We manage
the relationships, deliver the elements in the agreements, work to create value for
our clients to help them achieve their business goals. The Chiefs are a powerful force
in this market that captures a lot of eyeballs and attention. Our job is to help plug
brands into the mix to help them tap into that fan affinity and avidity.
How does your role contribute to the Franchise?
We鈥檙e part of the revenue arm for the club, which drives financial results through
our partnerships, but also allows us to work with strategic partners in the community
to help enhance our own brand presence and fan experience.
When did you begin in your role and how did you get the job?
I鈥檓 just finishing my 11th season with the Chiefs. I initially got the job by networking and applying for all
kinds of jobs. I happened to know someone at the Chiefs at the time, I said I鈥檇 applied
and they helped get my resume in front of the hiring manager. From there, I rarely
said 鈥渘o鈥� to any assignment and just tried to take on as much as I could in an effort
to learn, grow, and become a valuable asset to the organization.
What鈥檚 it been like to be a part of the franchise during this transformative time?
I鈥檝e grown up as a Chiefs fan and remember a lot of great seasons with some disappointing
playoff experiences. When I started here, the team wasn鈥檛 great and we had a couple
down years. But the ownership and leadership team remained committed to pursuing championships
and we kept adding the right pieces and building. Having all of that culminate with
the franchise鈥檚 second Super Bowl win in 2019 was truly magical. Our fans are the
best in sports so it was really special for so many to win that championship, and
continue to compete for more championships.
What advice do you have for current Sport Management students about landing a dream
job?
Relentless pursuit. If you are serious about landing that 鈥榙ream job鈥� then you鈥檝e
got to fully commit, make sacrifices, and keep grinding. If it鈥檚 your dream job, chances
are good it鈥檚 also someone else鈥檚. You鈥檝e got to continue to out work the competition
if you want it. The second piece of advice I鈥檇 have is that when you finally land
that dream job, the work is just beginning. Continue to grow, learn, and get better
every day.
Do you ever interact with the players? Do you know Patrick Mahomes!?
In this role, we do work with a lot of partners who work with several of our players,
Mahomes included. So we get an opportunity to help put together commercial shoots,
production days, and community appearances with several members of our team.