Monumental Sports & Entertainment taps Starbucks executive AJ Jones to lead communications
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Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: Courtesy of Starbucks
Starbucks' former chief corporate affairs officer AJ Jones II will join Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) as executive vice president and chief strategic and corporate communications officer, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: His hiring comes amid the revitalization of Capital One Arena, which is expected to be completed by the Washington Wizards and Capitals' 2027-28 season.
Catch-up quick: Jones most recently served as chief corporate affairs officer at Starbucks.
- Earlier in his career he held corporate affairs leadership roles at Vanda Pharmaceuticals and Gilead Sciences, led the global public affairs practice as Burson and served as chief policy and communications officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Details: Jones will sit on MSE's leadership team and report directly to MSE chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis.
- He will oversee the team responsible for ownership, financial, investor, and community-based communications.
What he's saying: "As a resident of the DMV, I have seen firsthand the impact that Monumental Sports and Entertainment has had on the local community, as well as the larger sports, media, and entertainment landscape," said Jones.
- "On a more personal level, joining Monumental is a full circle moment for me. The first live basketball event I attended with my eldest son was a Washington Wizards game, back when Michael Jordan was part of the team. The first-ever NHL game I saw was the Washington Capitals, which is on the brink of making history this season with Alexander Ovechkin's 'GR8 Chase' for the NHL's all-time scoring record," he added.
What's next: Jones says his team will be focused on promoting the transformation of Capital One Arena.
- "It will be a crown jewel in downtown D.C. and the world, as such my role will be integral to keeping our fans, employees, athletes, the sports and media-entertainment industry as well as broader stakeholders engaged about the project and its impact," he said.
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