The Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash have named highly decorated sales executive Dionna Widder as Chief Revenue Officer, the club announced today.
As Chief Revenue Officer, she will oversee the club’s ticket sales and service teams along with corporate partnership sales and service efforts for the Dynamo, Dash and BBVA Compass Stadium.
Widder joins the Dynamo and Dash after spending the previous four-plus years with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, where she was the team’s Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service. In that role, she was primarily responsible for the day-to-day success of the Membership Development, Group Sales, Youth Sports, Sales & Service Operations, and Organizational Business Development teams, the creation and execution of new and innovative ticket strategies and is responsible for developing and driving execution to maximize the sale of tickets and revenue.
“I’m extremely pleased to welcome Dionna Widder to the Houston Dynamo, Dash and BBVA Compass Stadium organization. Her track record of success extends across multiple leagues, sports and teams and is the result of a laser focus on delivering world-class experiences for the fans,” said the club’s President of Business Operations John Walker. “I am confident that Dionna will have a significant positive impact on our club and our culture as we create the future of the Houston Dynamo and Dash.”
Under Widder’s leadership, the Cavs have recorded more than 250 home consecutive sellouts at the 20,562-seat Quicken Loans Arena, a streak that dates back to her first season with the team in 2014. Among the keys to the Cavs’ strong sales results were a switch to an innovative year-round membership model and a strong focus on personalizing the organization’s interactions with its members. The Cavaliers received the NBA’s Membership Platform of the Year after the 2017-18 season, and Widder was named to Crain’s Cleveland Business 40-Under-40 in 2017.
"I am thrilled to join the Dynamo, the Dash and the Houston community. Whenever I have asked someone from Houston about their city, they all express great pride to call Houston home,” Widder said. “I look forward to helping the Dynamo, Dash and BBVA Compass Stadium create events and experiences that deepen that pride. I would like to express my deep appreciation to the Cavaliers organization for an incredible four-year journey that has had a positive impact on me personally and professionally."
A native of Flint, Michigan, Widder was a member of the Cavaliers' leadership team responsible for the modernization and transformation of Quicken Loans Arena which is scheduled to open in October 2019.
Prior to joining the Cavaliers, Widder spent two years as a Director in the NBA’s Team Marketing and Business Operations group, providing league support to individual teams with a focus on ticket sales, corporate partnerships and marketing functions. to NBA, WNBA and G-League teams.
Widder broke into professional sports in 2006 with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and WNBA’s Indiana Fever. She advanced rapidly within the club, starting out as a group sales executive before being named the Director of Group Ticket Sales and ultimately Sr. Director of Ticket Sales.
Widder moves to Houston along with her husband Mark and their three children, six-year-old fraternal twins Wells and Ellis and 15-month-old daughter Rowan.
