Boston Cannons Hire Mark Kastrud as Vice President/General Manager
Published on November 9, 2007 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Boston Cannons News Release
BOSTON, MA - Friday, November 2, 2007 - The Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) have named Mark Kastrud as Vice President and General Manager, Cannons Founding Owner Matthew Dwyer announced today.
Kastrud, 35, will oversee all of the business operations of the team, including sales, marketing, sponsorships and communications. Cannons Head Coach Bill Daye and his coaching staff remain responsible for all player personnel decisions such as trades, roster management and MLL drafts.
"Mark has been a vital and dedicated contributor to the Boston Cannons' and the MLL's success since 2002," said Dwyer. "His familiarity with all of our sponsorship partners, employees, other MLL staffs, and so many of our fans is a terrific foundation for his new responsibilities in guiding the Cannons' continued growth."
Prior to joining the Cannons as Vice President and General Manager, Kastrud spent the previous three years (2004-2007) in the MLL front office as the Corporate Sponsorship Manager, where he managed relationships with the MLL sponsors including Bud Light, New Balance, Warrior, Brine, Cascade, Under Armour and Gatorade, among others, as well as the Cannons' local sponsors. In 2006, he played a key role in partnering with Bud Light to broadcast the 2006 MLL Semifinal games live on BudLight.com, which marked Anheuser-Busch's first-ever live web broadcast of a professional sporting event, and he also launched the MLL-branded Visa credit card program with First National Bank of Omaha.
As his proudest accomplishment during his MLL front office tenure, Kastrud cites the development of the annual MLL All-Star Game fundraising auction. Working with MLL partners Cascade and New Balance, the auctions serve to mobilize the lacrosse community around supporting important causes. During the 2006 MLL All-Star Game, all members of the MLL All-Star Team wore custom hot pink Cascade CPX helmets in support of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The MLL then donated the helmet auction proceeds to breast cancer research. The 2007 MLL All-Star Game featured the MLL Eastern Conference Team in green camouflage uniforms and the Western Conference Team in brown camouflage uniforms, courtesy of New Balance. The ensuing jersey auction raised $50,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization dedicated to bringing comfort and support to wounded servicemen and women and their families.
Before taking on his responsibilities with the MLL front office, Kastrud spent two years (2002-2004) as the Director of Sponsorship Sales with the Cannons where he was responsible for all aspects of Cannons corporate sponsorships. He managed local sponsorship deals with Supercuts, Toyota, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Pepsi, Qdoba, Roche Bros. and Dick's Sporting Goods, among others.
A native of Clinton, New Jersey, Kastrud played four years as a midfielder on the varsity lacrosse team at Trinity College, while pursuing his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He served as the team's captain as a Senior in 1994.
Kastrud continues his involvement in the lacrosse community as a U9 coach for Marshfield Youth Lacrosse.
Season tickets to see the Cannons this summer at Harvard Stadium are on sale now with packages starting at $130 if ordered by December 15, 2007. Cannons Season Ticket Packages include all three MLL playoff games as NB ZIP MLL Championship Weekend returns to Boston in 2008. Holiday packages are also available. Cannons Season Tickets include six nights of outstanding sports and entertainment perfect for families, businesses and groups of friends. For more information, visit BOSTONCANNONS.COM or call (888) 847-9700.
Major League Lacrosse Stories from November 9, 2007
- Boston Cannons Hire Mark Kastrud as Vice President/General Manager - Boston Cannons
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