Bill Hawker ('95 BS) built a career in professional sports, establishing corporate partnerships for three NFL north division franchises: the Bears, Packers and Lions. Now he has returned to Green Bay as director of business development for Elevate97. The business creates and distributes marketing solutions for world-renowned retail brands. Clients include Carhartt, Calvin Klein, Pandora jewelry, Tommy Hilfiger, TaylorMade Golf and his former employer, the Packers.
“Green Bay is buzzing with football season underway, and we are just as enthusiastic about the expansion of our Elevate97 team by bringing a proven winner on board with Bill,” said Kate Burgess, owner and CEO of Elevate97, in a press release. “Bill’s expertise in the corporate world of sports for cultivating strategic business partnerships and building brands aligns perfectly with our longstanding mission of partnering with and showcasing world-renowned brands in retail and beyond.”
Hawker joined Elevate97 after spending the last two years with the Detroit Lions as vice president of corporate partnerships. He oversaw all corporate sales and partnership activation/service, which included new business planning/sales, retention/growth of existing corporate partners, and department revenue and strategy. During Hawker’s time with the Lions, the organization’s corporate partnerships team ranked in the top 10 of the NFL’s 32 teams for year-over-year revenue growth (YOY) – by percentage and in dollars.
Over the previous decade, Hawker served as manager of corporate partnerships for the Green Bay Packers, including the Super Bowl championship season. He guided the sales team as it secured three new gate-naming partnerships at Lambeau Field, the Packers’ iconic stadium, with Bellin Health, Shopko and American Family Insurance. He arrived in Green Bay after working as corporate sales manager with the Chicago Bears.
“At the end of the day, when you peel it back, it’s all about relationships to start with. It really boils down to the relationships that you develop and being able to deliver on what you said you’re going to deliver,” Hawker said. “At Elevate97, we have a lot of different capabilities and service areas that I don’t think people know we deliver. From that standpoint, I’m going to be able to go out and tell that story to brands and prospective partners for Elevate97.”
Burgess added, “Bill has impressive credentials in corporate sales and business development. We have witnessed the many fruits of his labor right here in Green Bay and certainly throughout his NFL 20-year career. Now, we couldn’t be more excited by the relationships Bill will introduce to Elevate97 as we expand our full-service offerings worldwide by being a single provider for what brands need to get to consumers: print, fulfilment, technology and design.”
According to the release, Hawker said he learned much from the Lions experience, but his family missed living in Green Bay.
“We missed being a part of the community we were a part of for 10 years," he said. "My wife, Sara, grew up two hours north of here. Our son, Nick, was born here, and we raised our daughter, Hannah, here. This is home for us. We’re excited to be back.”
A native of Bourbonnais, Ill., Hawker received a bachelor's degree in recreation and sports administration from NMU. He resides in Howard, Wis. Hawker enjoys spending time with his family at their cottage in the Upper Peninsula, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and traveling that includes side trips to breweries with his wife.
To read a past alumni magazine feature on Hawker's previous role with the Packers, click here.