Draft:Kirk Posmamtur

Kirk Posmantur, born 1963, is an American entrepreneur, brand builder, venture capitalist, and philanthropist. He is known for his pioneering work in the field of partnership marketing, having developed and implemented numerous integrated marketing and partnership strategies that have generated measurable revenue.

Posmantur is the CEO of Axcess Worldwide (AXW), a global advisory and partnership marketing firm, which he founded in 2000.

Early Life and Education

Kirk Posmantur was fascinated with the hospitality industry from an early age, offering suggestions based on his hotel stays through letters to industry leaders like Baron Hilton and Bill Marriott at the age of 12.

His passion for hotels led him to an early start in higher education. After an impromptu meeting with Jerry Vallen, then Dean of UNLV’s College of Hotel Management, Posmantur was offered a place in the freshman class at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) before completing his senior year of high school. He graduated from UNLV and was later inducted into the college’s Hospitality Hall of Fame in 2017.

Career

American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)

Posmantur began his career at the American Hotel & Lodging Association, where he spent nine years developing partnerships and generating substantial revenue through marketing, events, sponsorships, and corporate relations. His tenure there was marked by the development of strong, enduring business relationships with leaders in the hospitality and travel industries.

HFS Inc.

In 1993, Posmantur joined HFS Inc. as Senior Vice President for Corporate Relations. He played a pivotal role in creating an owner relations program for mid-market hotel franchises, significantly contributing to the company’s growth from $500 million to $20 billion in market capitalization. His work at HFS led to the development of innovative relationship-building programs and collaborations with industry leaders.

Axcess Worldwide

In 2000, Posmantur co-founded Axcess Worldwide with Mike Wargotz. The firm was built on the principles of creating and leveraging deep-rooted relationships to drive business growth across various industries. Under Posmantur's leadership, AXW has developed and executed partnership strategies that generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for clients such as Audemars Piguet, Beats by Dre, Cadillac, Dom Perignon, FENDI, Ferrari, Maserati, FIJI Water, Graff Diamonds, JPMorgan Chase, Isaia, Las Vegas Sands Corp., Loro Piana, NetJets, Sentient Jet, Flexjet, Health Nucleus, Townsquare Media, The Tony Awards, Viking Lakes, among many others.

Notable projects include the "Time to Give" event for Audemars Piguet, which raised $1.6 million for charity and significantly enhanced the brand’s profile in the U.S. market.

25madison

Posmantur is also a co-founder and  partner in 25madison, a startup studio, innovation hub, and investment vehicle, that is focused on finding, enhancing, and accelerating early-stage and new business concepts.

He co-founded 25madison with Steven Price, Matthew Fremont-Smith, Gary Ginsberg, Michael Lynton, Lance West, and John Daly.

Other Ventures

Posmantur is an equity investor in a several high-growth companies, including The Captivate Network, Flexport, Forbes Travel Guide, ONEHOPE, Opsera, PredictSpring, PS Lifestyle, The Professional Fighters League, Revolution Toaster, Ring, The Safe + Fair Food Company, Sharecare, So Great Foods, Tequila Avión, Tequila Enemigo, Wingstop, and TMRW Sports.

He currently serves on the boards of 25madison, Forbes Travel Guide, The Captivate Network, Onda Sparkling Tequila, Skylark, and Holistic Industries. Additionally Kirk is an advisor to the Peskowitz family, Kevin Warren (CEO of the Chicago Bears), and the Wilf Family as the Asset Manager of Omni Viking Lakes

From 1993 to 2000, Posmantur held various senior management positions at Cendant Corporation, a Fortune 500 publicly traded conglomerate. During his tenure, he launched the Cendant Entertainment Group, a venture to foster business development and marketing relationships between Cendant companies and the entertainment industry. He began his career at the American Hotel & Lodging Association, where he served as Vice President for Corporate Relations.

Posmantur was a member of the ownership team of Atlanta Hawks Sports and Entertainment, an Atlanta-based partnership that owns the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and operates their home arena, Philips Arena. In 2015, the Atlanta Hawks reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time.

Advisory Work

Philanthropy

Posmantur is deeply involved in various charitable organizations and causes. He has been greatly involved with After-School All-Stars, an organization founded by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to provide after-school programs to inner-city children in 12+ cities throughout the U.S.

For the last 20 years, he has served as the Chairman of the Board of the Atlanta chapter of After-School All-Stars. Kirk is the recipient of the Atlanta Falcons 2011 Community Quarterback Award for his tireless efforts in raising more than $30 million for the Atlanta chapter of After-School All-Stars.

Personal Life

Kirk Posmantur's career is marked by his ability to build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships, which have been the cornerstone of his professional and philanthropic endeavors. His early passion for the hospitality industry and his innovative approach to partnership marketing have made him a notable figure in the business world.