Who is leading this program?
Bob Heere
Bob Heere is the current Director of Sport Entertainment Management at the University of North Texas, and a Full Professor in the Department of Management in the G. Brint Ryan College of Business. He currently serves as the President of the North American Society for Sport Management. He is a leading scholar in the field of sport management, and has conducted research on sport on five continents, with scholars from more than 20 different nations. His work focuses on fan communities and how people identify with their favorite sport teams, and has been published frequently in the leading sport management journals. He has worked closely with many different sport organizations around the world, including the Royal Dutch Soccer Federation, AFC Ajax Amsterdam, the Shanghai Sports Federation, Nanjing Sport Bureau, Fulham FC, the World Golf Foundation, and currently with the Dallas Cowboys and the PGA of America. He previously held academic appointments at the University of South Carolina, the University of Texas, Florida State University, the Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies and Auckland University of Technology.
Matt Walker
Matt Walker is a Professor of Management at the University of North Texas and is directing the development of the online content. His research and consultancies focus on program evaluations and strategic processes underpinning organizational efforts across numerous sport industry sectors. He has participated in more than 30 grant-funded research projects for sport and related organizations in the United States and around the world, including the PGA of America, National Football League, Sport England, World Golf Foundation, The Boxing Academy, Golf 20/20, Nike, Barclays Bank, USA Archery, Easton Sports Development Foundation, Fulham Football Club Foundation, Fight-4-Change, Magic Bus (among others).Walker is a leading scholar in sport management, and his research and consultancy work has offered business and management solutions to sport organizations, NGO's, and government agencies, helping improve and enhance the marketing and management of social and strategic programming efforts. He begins at UNT after a 6-year stint as Chair of the Sport Management Program at Texas A&M University.
Aaron Kastner
Aaron Kastner is currently the Manager of Corporate Partnership Marketing for the Dallas Cowboys. In this role, he manages and oversees the day to day relationships with Dallas Cowboys corporate partners; one of which includes the University of North Texas. He also serves as the Industry Director for the UNT / Cowboys professional M.B.A. program and is the primary liaison between the university and the Dallas Cowboys for the program. Aaron has been with the Cowboys for two (2) years. Prior to the Cowboys, he worked in corporate partnerships and ticketing with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids) and the Green Bay Packers. A native of West Bend, Wisconsin, he is a graduate of Ripon College (B.A.) and Western Illinois University (M.S.).
