Minneapolis/St. Paul – Today the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx announced the hire of Marquise Watts as the organization’s Chief Experience Officer (CXO). In the newly created and first-of-its-kind executive position within the organization, Watts will work across both basketball and business operations with a focus on premier player experience and establishing the organization as a talent destination.
Watts brings extensive brand and sports management experience following time at Under Armour, Adidas, and most recently serving as President of Brand Strategy for Klutch Sports Group.
“I’m very excited to join the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx organization,” said Watts. “The leadership team here in Minnesota is serious about building a world-class organization. There is much to untap and explore, culturally and experientially for our players and community. This is just the beginning, and there is a lot to look forward to.”
“We look forward to welcoming Marquise to our organization,” said Timberwolves and Lynx CEO Ethan Casson. “His unique background in brand strategy and athlete engagement gives us the opportunity to establish Minnesota as a top tier player destination.”
During his time with Klutch Sports Group, Watts led marketing and corporate partnership efforts, aligning athletes with some of the biggest brands in the world. At Adidas, he oversaw the signings of some of the NBA’s and WNBA’s top players while managing partnerships with the league. Watts played an integral role on the team that launched Under Armour Basketball, leading sports marketing initiatives across multiple audiences.
As a former student-athlete, Watts is an advocate for education and has focused his efforts on closing the achievement gap due to area-based socioeconomic disparities. He serves on the board of directors for the Play Equity Fund.
Watts was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wis. and played NCAA D2 basketball at University of Minnesota-Morris. He has deep connections with the Twin Cities and looks forward to returning to the community.
Watts will assume his position this spring. He will report directly to Casson.