John Klinkenberg serves as Chief Operating Officer of Minnesota Sports & Events (MNSE), a role he has held since 2023. He oversees the organization’s internal operations, financial management, compliance, and enterprise-wide risk strategy, ensuring MNSE operates with strong governance, fiscal discipline, and operational excellence in delivering world-class events. John began his career in insurance and risk management, developing extensive expertise in complex liability planning, contract negotiation, and large-scale event risk mitigation. He has successfully applied that background to the sports and events industry, leading and implementing comprehensive risk management strategies for some of the nation’s most high-profile events.
His experience includes Super Bowl LII and subsequent Super Bowls, the 2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four, the 2017 and 2018 NBA All-Star Games, the 2022 NCAA Women’s Final Four, and the 2023 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, among others.
In addition to his professional leadership, John serves on multiple community boards, contributing his financial and governance expertise to support nonprofit and civic organization.