Kennerly is a 31-year sports marketing industry veteran having focused his career in professional athlete management, corporate consulting, and professional event development, management and ownership. His strategic vision has been in the forefront of the industry bringing creative and innovative ideas to complex business strategies while also assisting in multi-level marketing solutions.

 

Beginning his career in 1988, Kennerly spent the next 29 years with leading sports marketing companies including ProServ, Inc., Advantage International (now Octagon), Golden Bear International, and in 1996 founded his own firm, IGP Sports & Entertainment.  In 2013, after a successful 17 year run, Kennerly’s firm was acquired by IMG Worldwide, the global leader in the sports, fashion, media and entertainment industry.  From 2013-2016, Kennerly served as Senior Vice President of the North American Event division and in 2016 resigned to return to his entrepreneurial roots.  He  re-created his old agency with a new brand, K2 Sports Ventures, LLC. 

 

In 2006, Kennerly was recruited by the PGA TOUR to resurrect The Honda Classic. As part of his vision to rebrand and rebuild the tournament, Kennerly moved the event to PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, and created more than just a professional golf tournament. Capitalizing on the many assets of Palm Beach County, The Honda Classic, over the past 12 years, has become a "must attend" event and in 2018 boasted an increased attendance of over 224,000 spectators, and over $4.5 million in charitable contributions for a total of over $24m since the tournament's move to PGA National. These contributions are donated to over 130 Palm Beach County children's related charities including the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation as the tournament's primary beneficiary. 

 

Today, Kennerly, as the President & CEO of K2 Sports Ventures, continues as the Executive Director of The Honda Classic, and most recently acquired the Marathon of the Palm Beaches. Rebranding the race as "The Palm Beaches Marathon", Kennerly's vision is to grow the marathon into one of the most desirable races in the US while creating another successful economic impact event for Palm Beach County.

 

Kennerly serves on multiple boards including DISCOVER The Palm Beaches, Palm Beach County Sports Commission, American Junior Golf Foundation (AJGA), The First Tee of the Palm Beaches, Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce, Palm Beach Gardens Police Foundation, and formerly The Benjamin School. A native of New York City, and a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall and Dartmouth College, Kennerly resides in Jupiter, Florida with his wife Kelly and their two children, Carly and Charlie.