KemperSports has appointed Sara Kearney as Chief Marketing Officer – a newly created role that marks the first time the Northbrook, Illinois-based golf, sports and hospitality company has designated a dedicated executive to lead brand strategy across its portfolio of more than 210 properties nationwide.
Kearney brings more than three decades of hospitality marketing and operations experience to the position. She joined KemperSports in June 2020 and most recently served as Senior Vice President of KemperDestinations, the company’s destination resort division, where she oversaw the guest experience and commercial performance of its resort properties.
Her background before KemperSports was built entirely within the Hyatt Hotels ecosystem, spanning over 30 years and a succession of senior global roles. These included Vice President, Global Marketing Operations; Vice President, Sales and Marketing, International Operations; Senior Vice President, Brands; and Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific Operations – a trajectory that took her across major international markets and gave her deep fluency in brand-building at scale.
In her new role, Kearney will direct brand and marketing efforts across the full KemperSports portfolio, which encompasses public and municipal golf courses, private clubs, sports venues and destination resorts. The appointment comes at a period of sustained momentum for the company. In February 2026, 20 KemperSports courses received GolfersVoice Customer Satisfaction Awards from the National Golf Foundation, with the company’s properties capturing 36 of the 48 awards distributed nationally and claiming first place in every major category. The company was also recognised on Sports Business Journal’s 2025 Best Places to Work in Sports list.
KemperSports holds more properties among the top 100 U.S. public and resort courses – as ranked by GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest and Golfweek – than any other management company, and continues to expand its portfolio, recently adding the 45-hole Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Connecticut to its managed estate.
CEO Steve Skinner said Kearney’s understanding of guest experience and brand connection made her the natural choice. “She has a true passion for her work and will make an immediate impact in our marketing and branding efforts throughout the portfolio.”
Kearney described the opportunity as a chance to amplify what KemperSports has already built. “KemperSports has built a brand on being one of the most trusted names in golf, sports and hospitality,” she said. “I look forward to expanding that brand as we tell the story of how KemperSports’ purposeful passion leads all aspects of the business.”
