MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Today B.A.S.S. announced Dean Kessel as its new general manager (GM). Former B.A.S.S. CEO Helen Sevier will remain on as executive VP, but both she and Kessel will report directly to Michael Rooney, senior VP and GM of ESPN Outdoors.
An appointment of someone at that level has been rumored for some time, and in explaining the move Rooney said: "As we continue to grow B.A.S.S., we realized a need for the event- and sports-marketing expertise that Dean brings to the organization."
Kessel's Pedigree
Kessel managed Lowe's sports marketing activities for the last five years. His responsibilities included overseeing Lowe's primary sponsorship of its NASCAR Winston Cup team and driver Mike Skinner, and its sponsorships with the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball teams throughout the country.
Absent in the release is any mention of Lowe's title sponsorship of B.A.S.S.'s World Championship Fishing (WCF) boat racing/fishing circuit, which has been abandoned for at least this year.
In February 1999, Kessel and his team secured the first-ever naming rights for a NASCAR-sanctioned track: the Charlotte Motor Speedway was renamed the Lowe's Motor Speedway. Team Lowe's Racing also has the largest fan club in NASCAR.
Prior to joining Lowe's, Kessel was an assistant manager with R.J. Reynolds' Sports Marketing Enterprises, where he was involved with the Winston Cup Series and new business development teams.
Comments
"I'm absolutely thrilled by the opportunity to work with two phenomenal brands in B.A.S.S. and ESPN," Kessel said. "The combination of these two icons in the outdoor industry will benefit all parties involved -- anglers, sponsors, B.A.S.S. members and fans.
"I've watched the sport of bass fishing grow over the past few years and it reminds me of the early days of NASCAR," he added. "I'm hopeful that our team can take some of what I've learned from my sports marketing experiences over the years and apply it to a successful formula at B.A.S.S."
According to B.A.S.S., Kessel is an avid bass angler.
