Mariners announce business operations leadership promotions

SEATTLE, Wash. – Seattle Mariners President of Business Operations Kevin Martinez today announced the following promotions in Business Operations:

• Gregg Greene promoted to Sr. Vice President, Marketing and Communications
• Jeff Higgins promoted to Vice President, Technology Solutions
• Ben Mertens promoted to Vice President, Creative and Content Services
• Chris Savio promoted to Vice President, Corporate Partnerships & Business Development
• Mandy Sundblad promoted to Vice President, Marketing and Fan Engagement

“The strength of the Mariners organization is our people,” said Mariners President of Business Operations Kevin Martinez. “Gregg, Mandy, Chris, Jeff, and Ben have demonstrated a tremendous commitment to our organization and our continuing efforts to serve our fans, communities, and partners at the highest level. I’m thrilled to add this group of passionate, talented, and creative co-workers to our leadership team and to congratulate them on these well-deserved promotions.”

Greene has been promoted to Sr. Vice President, Marketing and Communications after serving six seasons as the club’s Vice President, Marketing. In his new role, Greene will oversee Marketing, Fan Engagement, Content, Creative Services, Communications and Broadcasting. He will report directly to Mariners President of Business Operations Kevin Martinez.

Greene, a life-long Mariners fan and native of Woodinville, WA, has spent 27 seasons with the Mariners organization after beginning his career as a part-time stadium DJ in 1995. He joined the Mariners as Marketing Intern in 1997 and has been promoted through seven escalating roles within Promotions and Marketing. Mariners fans have enjoyed decades of unique events at the ballpark as a product of Greene’s work, including the iconic King’s Court section.

Greene has assisted Major League Baseball at 10 All-Star Games and taught a graduate-level Marketing and Communications course for 11 years at the University of Washington’s Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership program. He received undergraduate degrees in Communications & Political Science from the University of Washington in 1995 and his Master’s in Business & Communications from Syracuse University in 1998. Over the last 10 years, he has also volunteered as a youth baseball and soccer coach for his two sons.

Higgins has been promoted to Vice President, Technology Solutions. He joined the club as Sr. Director of Technology Strategy and Delivery in May of 2021. In that role, he led the charge to plan and implement a 10-year technology capital improvement program in T-Mobile Park. Working cross-functionally within the Mariners organization and in partnership with the Public Facilities District, he worked to update the technology currently in place and led the deployment of state-of-the-art technology upgrades throughout the ballpark.

Prior to joining the Mariners, Higgins spent 20 years in progressively more senior roles with local companies including Urgenci (Vice President, Service Delivery), Bartell Drugs (Sr. Consultant Program Director), Kaiser Permanente (Sr. Consultant Program Director), Inabia (Sr. Consultant Technical Product Development Manager), Broadpoint Group (Sr. Technical Product Manager), iSoftStone (Senior Product Manager) Slalom Consulting, Two Degrees Group, Terabeam and AT&T.

Jeff graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in Political Science & Economics. In his spare time he golfs and serves as a volunteer youth sports (boys & girls) in Bellevue for baseball, softball, basketball, and football. He has also participated in the Maddy Higgins, Children’s Hospital Cancer Ward, Toy Drive for the past 16 years.

Mertens has been promoted to Vice President, Creative and Content Services, after serving six years as Sr. Director of Productions. He will oversee Photography, Graphic Design, Broadcast and Video Production for the Mariners, reporting to Sr. VP of Marketing and Communications, Gregg Greene.

Entering his 13th season with the Mariners, Mertens joined in 2012 as Director of Productions and was promoted in 2018. He played a key role in launching MarinersVision in 2013. Since joining the organization, the Mariners have won nine Golden Matrix Awards, including six naming the club as Best in Baseball and four Northwest Regional Emmys.

Before the Mariners, Mertens spent ten years with the Kansas City Royals. He served as Manager of Event Presentation and Production and was actively involved in the 2008 renovation of Kauffman Stadium, specifically the installation of the CrownVision videoboard and control room.

During the last two decades, he has served on multiple committees for the Information Display & Entertainment Association. Mertens is also involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound. He is a graduate of Missouri State University where he earned a BS in Mass Media, Productions. Ben is a native of Independence, MO.

Savio has been promoted to Vice President, Corporate Partnerships & Business Development from Sr. Director, Corporate Partnership Sales & Business Development. Now in his fifth season with the club Chris will lead the Sales and Operations & Development teams, engage & educate brands on the Mariners marketing platform, and build new and compelling marketing assets.

A Mercer Island native, Chris spent the last 20 years on the team/property side within the sports industry (MiLB, NFL, MLS, XFL, and MLB) in a variety of sponsorship, business development, strategy, & leadership roles. His various roles included time with Ripken Baseball, Inc., (Director of Sales for nearly seven years and Director of Corp. Partnerships), prior to the Baltimore Ravens (Corporate Sales Account Executive) and, in Seattle, the Seattle Sounders FC (Director of Corporate Partnership Sales) and the Seattle Dragons (Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships).

Chris played Division I baseball for the University of Hawaii at Hilo Vulcans. He, and his wife Christie, currently reside in Bellevue with their three children. Other hobbies include endlessly chasing kids, spending time at the family cabin on Lake Cle Elum, rooting for all Seattle sports teams, and perfecting his culinary skills on the Big Green Egg.

Sundblad has been promoted to Vice President, Marketing and Fan Engagement after serving as Sr. Director of Experiential Marketing for three years. Sundblad will oversee all the functional areas of Marketing and Advertising, including Social Media and Digital Marketing, Game Entertainment and Community Outreach. She will report to Sr. VP of Marketing and Communications, Gregg Greene.

Sundblad is entering her 18^th season with the Mariners after beginning her career as Marketing Coordinator in 2008. She has led many notable projects during her time with the Mariners, serving as the club’s lead organizer and point of contact for 2023 MLB All-Star Week and the Hall of Fame Inductions of Ken Griffey Jr. (2016) and Edgar Martinez (2019) in Cooperstown, NY. Mandy has been instrumental in the execution of fan-facing programs and events, including FanFest, Mariners Street Fleet and ballpark promotions, while also leading the Mariners game presentation team in providing Mariners fans with baseball’s best ballpark experience.

Behind the scenes, Sundblad is a mentor in the Mariners Hometown Nine program, providing guidance and resources to youth from underserved communities. She is a Graduate of Western Washington University where she earned her BA in Marketing & Business Administration and was named the Finance & Marketing Graduate of the Year (2007). Mandy is a native of Seattle, WA.