FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - After tackling many challenges for the Kraft family and the New England Patriots over the past 16 years, Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Andy Wasynczuk has accepted a new challenge. Starting next month, he will join the faculty of the Harvard Business School (HBS). While the HBS has attracted various leading executives to join their faculty in the past, Wasynczuk is believed to be the first sports executive to accept such a unique opportunity. In addition to his faculty responsibilities, he will maintain an on-going relationship with the Patriots organization as a consultant to the Krafts.
"Andy is a very special person," said Patriots Owner and Chairman Robert Kraft. "Long ago, he earned the respect and admiration of my family. We are grateful for his contributions to our success, both on and off the field. Over the years, I have valued his analytical skills, sound judgment and his commitment to both the organization and to my family. Andy will be a great addition to the faculty at Harvard Business School. I admire his desire to teach and share his experiences with the next generation of great business leaders."
Wasynczuk was originally hired by the Kraft family in 1989 as the chief operating officer of Foxboro Stadium. When the Krafts purchased the New England Patriots in 1994, Wasynczuk's responsibilities expanded to include the business operations for the team. For the past 11 years, he has overseen the daily business operations of each department in the organization.
"This team and this organization are very special," said Wasynczuk. "The staff is made up of incredibly talented individuals who not only care about extraordinary results, but also care about the extraordinary people who produce them. The tone is set at the top with Robert and Jonathan Kraft. I will forever be indebted to the Kraft family for letting me live out a dream these past 16 years. While I will miss the day-to-day involvement with the team, I am also excited about my new challenge. It's quite gratifying to be invited back to the source of my business training in order to apply my experiences toward the education of tomorrow's leaders."
Wasynczuk earned a master's degree in business administration from the Harvard Business School in 1983. While working as a consultant at Bain & Company in Boston, he forged a friendship with Jonathan Kraft that ultimately led to his hiring in 1989.
"I have known Andy for a long time," recalled Jonathan Kraft. "I remember confiding with him about my family's goal of someday buying and rebuilding the Patriots back in the mid-'80s. I remember thinking that Andy would be a great asset to our family in accomplishing those goals. Sixteen years later, I couldn't be more proud of all that we have accomplished together. As a graduate of HBS, I know how beneficial 'real world' examples can be and Andy has an incredible amount of experiences that will help in the classroom."
During his tenure, Wasynczuk was heavily involved in the negotiations to secure a site for a permanent home for the franchise. He led the campaign that secured the Town of Foxborough's endorsement to construct the franchise's first state-of-the-art stadium. For nearly two years, he oversaw the day-to-day development during the construction of Gillette Stadium and played a pivotal role in negotiating the stadium's naming rights. Concurrently, he continued his role managing the team's salary cap and was primarily responsible for negotiating many of the team's player contracts. He also led the effort to develop the various cap management tools that are instrumental to the team's ongoing leadership in that area.
In his new role, Wasynczuk will be a senior lecturer at the Harvard Business School. He will be one of the faculty in the required MBA course in negotiations, a subject he is uniquely qualified to discuss after handling various player, team and stadium contract negotiations for the organization over the past 16 years.
