Front Office Tom Garfinkel President & Chief Operating Officer
Tom Garfinkel was named to the post of president and chief operating officer of the San Diego Padres in April 2009. Since his arrival, he has built a leadership team that has implemented substantial positive change to the organization. Under Garfinkel’s leadership, the team achieved its highest season ticket renewal rates two years in a row and grew attendance for two years in a row for only the second time in franchise history. The team was recognized in a random Sports Business Journal survey for having the number one ticket sales and service team in baseball. Following Major League Baseball’s lead, the Padres became the first team to put together a comprehensive initiative to build awareness for Stand Up 2 Cancer, raising over $300,000 in 2010 alone. Garfinkel also led the continuation and expansion of the Padres long-standing Military appreciation programs, adding elements like a $99 military season pass for junior enlisted military members. In addition, he created a program to provide authentic Padres jerseys and hats from every era for over 800 teams and 11,000 little leaguers in the San Diego area. Prior to joining the Padres, Garfinkel was the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Arizona Diamondbacks. During his tenure there, he built a long-term strategic plan for the franchise, led the re-branding of the Club and updating of Chase Field, and led a team that produced the highest controllable revenues in the franchise's history in 2008. The team set franchise records that year in season ticket renewal rate, new season ticket sales, group sales and suite sales, growing these categories by a combined 143 percent over 2006 totals. The club also shifted its philosophy under Garfinkel’s direction to reduce marketing clutter around the ballpark and create new value for its corporate partners, while at the same time shifting to a rights fee broadcasting model. That move strategically secured a substantial piece of future revenues ahead of the economic downturn, resulting in a combined sponsorship and broadcast revenue increase of 34 percent from 2006 to 2008. Prior to joining the Diamondbacks, Garfinkel spent five years with Chip Ganassi Racing Teams as executive vice president, overseeing all business operations of the 400-employee company. He negotiated more than $500 million in sponsorship and driver contracts that resulted in a 280 percent increase of annual company revenue during his tenure. While Garfinkel was at Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, the organization won two championships and grew to include three NASCAR Nextel Cup teams, one Busch Series team, two IndyCar teams and one Grand-Am team. Garfinkel's background also includes time at Texaco, Inc., where he managed sponsorship and corporate branding, and at Miller Brewing Company in strategic marketing and sales. Garfinkel earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a Master of Business Administration from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
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