CHICAGO and NORTHBROOK, Ill., March 8, 2010 – Eric R. Jonke has joined KemperLesnik as senior vice president of business development and sports marketing. In this position, Jonke will lead sales efforts for the events, public relations and sports marketing agency.
Jonke has been associated with some of the sports marketing industry’s most recognized events over the past three decades on behalf of many nationally recognized Fortune 1,000 corporations.
For 19 years, he was senior vice president at IMG, where he sold sponsorships and built partnerships with global brands, such as Franklin Templeton, Samsung, Deutsche Bank, Office Depot, UBS, Home Depot, Lexus, Merrill Lynch, HSBC, Monster, McDonalds and ADT. Jonke also sold title sponsorships and negotiated contracts for projects such as IMG’s “The World’s Strongest Man” competition, NBC’s “Tribute On Ice”, and “SeeSwing”, a high-tech golf swing analysis invention, as a principal at Jonke & Associates, an independent sporting events and promotions consultancy.
Jonke has extensive experience in golf, including with PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, LPGA Tour, European Tour, USGA and NCAA events. He was instrumental in the creation of events such as the “Shark Shootout” for Greg Norman, the “Showdown/Battle Series” for Tiger Woods and the “Father/Son Challenge” for Office Depot in partnership with NBC.
He is a graduate of The Ohio State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, International Business. He resides in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, with his wife and two children. He is an avid sportsman who enjoys mountaineering, golfing, skiing and scuba diving.
About KemperLesnik
Chicago-based KemperLesnik is an events, public relations and sports marketing agency that has produced and managed major national and international events and communications programs for more than 30 years, including the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational college basketball tournament and numerous PGA TOUR affiliate events. For more information, visit www.kemperlesnik.com.
Its affiliated company, KemperSports, operates golf facilities as well as athletic clubs and lodging venues, including nationally ranked courses and tournament venues such as Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bolingbrook Golf Club, Chambers Bay, Harding Park, Dorado Beach Resort & Club, The Glen Club and Desert Willow Golf Resort. For more information, visit www.kempersports.com.
Contact:
Susie Chang
847.850.2471
susan.chang@kemperlesnik.com
