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Craig Richard
President & CEO

(813) 518-2620
crichard@tampabayedc.com

Tampa Bay Lightning

 

 

The Tampa Bay Lightning, the leasehold rights to the Tampa Bay Times Forum and approximately six acres of adjacent land were purchased by an entity controlled by Jeff Vinik in March 2010. Vinik later added the Tampa Bay Storm to his portfolio and commenced a complete transformation of the sports and entertainment business, highlighted by a more than $60 million renovation of the Times Forum, an extensive charity campaign highlighted by a $2 million annual giveback to Tampa Bay nonprofits through the Lightning Community Heroes program, and redesigned identities for both teams. The Lightning, led by Hockey Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman, are now recognized as one of the leading franchises in the National Hockey League, while the Storm, with future NFL Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks at the helm, are emulated throughout the Arena Football League.




Chris Overholt

Chris Overholt serves as Chief Commercial Officer for Vinik Sports Group. In this role, Overholt oversees all aspects of the company’s marketing and sales teams with a focus on developing, designing and implementing VSG’s commercial strategy to strengthen relationships, drive sales and increase revenue.

Prior to joining VSG, Overholt led the Global Partnerships Division for Madison Square Garden (MSG), overseeing sponsorship marketing, sales and service for iconic entities such as the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers, Madison Square Garden, and more. He also played a pivotal role in global sales for the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Prior to MSG, Overholt served as the founding CEO/Partner of OverActive Media Group (OAM), a Toronto-based organization recognized for its diverse and influential presence in sports, media and entertainment.

Between 2010-2018, Overholt also served as Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC). In that role he drove unprecedented growth in commercial operations while overseeing a broad scope of operations and collaborating closely with Canada’s National Sports Federations to foster the development of aspiring Olympians.

During his 30 years in business, Overholt has played a key role in the marketing, branding, and business strategies for some of North America’s top sports franchises. This includes notable contributions to the success of the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), where he achieved industry-leading results for both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors.

Overholt holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario and graduated from the Harvard Business School Executive General Managers Program in 2001.

Chris Overholt
Chief Commercial Officer