Arthur Blank

Biography

During a March event in which his general manager, head coach and rookie quarterback picked up national awards from the oldest sports magazine in America, Atlanta Falcons Owner & CEO Arthur Blank sat at the head table reflecting for a moment on the success of the 2008 season.

Blank, a passionate driving force behind what was arguably the most dramatic turnaround in the history of professional sports, smiled from his seat and then his mind raced forward to the possibilities the 2009 season holds for his football team.

“That was a special day for our football team, our city and our fans,” Blank said.  “I remember sitting at that breakfast thinking that we had a remarkable season filled with a lot of exciting plays and dramatic moments.  But my personality is not one to look back for too long.  It’s the prospects that excite me.”

Before this March morning was complete, Blank would watch his hand-picked general manager, Thomas Dimitroff walk off the stage with the 2008 Sporting News Executive of the Year Award.  He’d also see first-year Head Coach Mike Smith leave the ballroom with the 2008 Sporting News Coach of the Year Award, while his rookie QB Matt Ryan loaded the 2008 Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award in his car.

Individually, these awards are significant in their own right.  But winning the tri-fecta in 2008 was historical.  No professional sports team in the illustrious 123-year history of Sporting News had ever swept the magazine’s three most prestigious awards in the same season.

“The foundation we laid and the progress we made in 2008 was beyond most people’s expectations,” Blank said.  “Awards, recognition and accolades aside, I feel we put in place several building blocks that will make our football team a strong competitive force in the National Football League for years to come.  That fires up our fans.  It fires up our sponsors and season ticket holders.  And it fires me up, as well.”

Blank, who begins his eighth season as owner of the Falcons, scored touchdowns with the acquisitions of Dimitroff and Smith.

Though several national media outlets openly questioned the hiring of both a rookie general manager and a rookie head coach, Blank held firm to the core business principles that guided him earlier in his career as he built Home Depot into a retail powerhouse. “We looked beyond the skill set to the whole person. Character, integrity and trust were priorities,” he noted.

Dimitroff, who came to the Falcons in January 2008 from the New England Patriots, hired Smith 10 days after his arrival. A former defensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Smith was a well-regarded defensive specialist with 26 years of collegiate and NFL coaching experience.  Both men quickly set about the business of recalibrating the Falcons team.

“We all felt good about the chemistry between Coach and Thomas starting with their first interview together,” Blank said.  “I’d often call Thomas’ office late in the evening and invariably he and Smitty would be together watching tape or evaluating players.  Having your head coach and general manager working together – not always in lockstep but working together – brings tremendous value to building a team.”

Dimitroff was selective but aggressive in free agency, signing running back Michael Turner, kicker Jason Elam, free safety Erik Coleman and tight end Ben Hartsock.

All four players were starters on opening day in 2008, with Turner enjoying a breakout season that included finishing second in MVP voting (Associated Press) en route to rushing for a career-best 1,699 yards and a franchise-record 17 rushing touchdowns.  Turner’s standout season also earned him his first selection to the NFC Pro Bowl team. 

Through the 2008 NFL Draft, Dimitroff cemented the quick turnaround for the franchise by selecting 11 players, 10 of which earned a spot on the roster. The rookie class combined to participate in 98 games (38 starts), while Ryan, tackle Sam Baker and middle linebacker Curtis Lofton (Sporting News All-Rookie team) all earned starting roles at their respective positions.

The building blocks in place, Smith guided the Falcons to an 11-5 regular season record.  The seven-win improvement from 2007 ties for the sixth-highest turnaround by a first-year head coach in league history (since the 1970 merger).  Smith also became only the fourth Falcons coach in franchise history to reach 11 regular season wins in a season, and was also named 2008 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year.

Ryan, who earned the respect and admiration of his teammates during OTAs and training camp, pieced together a remarkable rookie season after completing 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns en route to being named Associated Press NFL Rookie of the Year.

Ryan and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning are the only rookie quarterbacks in league history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in their first season.  Along with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, Ryan became the first rookie in the NFL to start all 16 regular season games and lead his team to the playoffs.  Ryan’s 11 wins are the most for a rookie in franchise history, aided by throwing nine consecutive 200-yard passing outings.  He also was named NFC Rookie of the Month (October) and NFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 9).

All of these franchise-altering events took place because Blank did what he has always done when things get tough.  He rose to the challenge and devoted all of his energies to repairing the on-field and public image of his football team.

“It’s my nature to roll up my sleeves and get to work,” Blank said. “We had a lot of work to do, and everyone in our organization – our coaches, our players and our staff – stepped up in a big way.”
 

COMMITMENT TO THE FANS
Whether it’s the Home Depot – the company Blank co-founded and led until his retirement as co-chairman in 2001 – or the Atlanta Falcons, Blank has always subscribed to one simple theory: Listening is what matters most.  Customers, fans, players, coaches or associates – Blank listens, understands and responds to all of them and expects his associates to do the same.

“You have to subordinate your thinking to that of the fans,” said Blank two months after the sale of the team was approved in 2002. “We’ve got to think about everything they need from the time they leave their driveway to the time they arrive in ours.”

While undergoing significant changes in management and the roster, Blank ensured the club’s three-point commitment to fans remained intact.  Those three commitments, established on his first day of ownership, are to produce a winning team on the field; provide a great game day experience; and have a winning team off the field and in the community.

Following the challenges – on and off the field in 2007 – Blank’s commitment to Falcons fans gained even more strength and resolve.

“You don’t do less when things get tough,” Blank said. “You do more. You do more research, more analysis, more reaching out to your fans.  We needed to find out what more we could do to make our team, our stadium and the entire game day experience better for our fans.”

Following a three-year, $53 million investment in enhancements inside and outside the Georgia Dome, which was funded by the Falcons and Georgia World Congress Center Authority, fans this season will enjoy new high-definition video boards double the size of the old boards. Located at each end of the field, the new boards will offer sharper images, and enhanced graphics, game viewing options and replay capabilities. From suite and club seat renovations, to the addition of super suites and LED ribbon boards, to exterior paint and interior seating in red and black, the Georgia Dome now has the look and feel of the “home of the Falcons.”

“It’s important to maintain the Georgia Dome to NFL standards for our fans,” Blank said.  “The new video boards are just one more way we can add value to their overall game day experience this season.”

Another way the team is adding value to the game day experience is through new ticket sales programs and discounted pricing.  The price of more than two-thirds of season ticket seats in the Dome (approximately 43,000) remained flat or were lowered for the 2009 season. In addition, season ticket holders were offered a new flexible payment plan, and customer service representatives were added to respond to individual season ticket holder needs.

“We are extremely sensitive to the economy and its impact on how families spend their entertainment dollars,” Blank said.  “We want our Dome filled with Falcons fans, so we have to be mindful of how we price our product.  I think we’ve done a pretty good job in this area.”

COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY
One of the hallmarks of Blank’s philosophy is giving back to the community. During his tenure with The Home Depot, the company donated more than $113 million to the communities it served. In addition, associates provided hundreds of thousands of hours of personal volunteer time.

Given his philanthropic history, it came as no surprise that the final phase of Blank’s three-point plan for the Falcons was a program that would see the Falcons’ organization lending its support all over the state of Georgia. One vehicle of the Falcons’ community outreach efforts is the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation (AFYF), the largest team-funded foundation in the NFL. The AFYF gives back to the community by promoting the healthy development of youth. It does so by supporting physical fitness and sports in communities across Georgia through grant-making, strategic partnerships and signature programs.

Since 2002, the foundation has awarded more than $16 million in grants to more than 700 non-profit organizations. The centerpiece of the foundation’s work is the Falcons Fitness Zones signature program, in which Blank has invested nearly $8 million since the program’s inception in 2005, in a focused effort to shape the lives of Georgia youth through outdoor activities and fitness.

Through a matching gift fund initiated by Blank, Falcons players, coaches and staff are also involved in the community at unprecedented levels. Together, they have raised more than $3.1 million for 550 charitable organizations during the last seven years.

In addition, Atlanta Falcons players, coaches, cheerleaders and associates remain among the most active community citizens in the NFL, contributing an average of 3,000 hours of their collective personal time each season.  Much of this time is spent participating in Atlanta Falcons community relations programs and initiatives, which address a variety of issues including health and fitness, breast cancer awareness, combating hunger, supporting the development of youth football, and outreach in underserved communities.

Blank is also dedicated to his personal giving back.  In addition to serving as Owner and CEO of the Falcons, Blank is Chairman, President & CEO of AMB Group, LLC and Chairman of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Both organizations are part of The Arthur M. Blank Family Office, with the common purpose of giving back to society through financial contributions and personal involvement.  Through his generosity, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, along with his and his wife Stephanie’s personal giving, has granted and committed more than $260 million to numerous non-profit organizations.

HOW IT ALL STARTED
A native of Flushing, N.Y., Blank attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, where he competed on the football, baseball and track teams. He received a B.S. Degree in Business Administration with Distinction from Babson College, where he was active in a wide variety of extracurricular activities.  He co-founded The Home Depot in 1978 and retired from the company as Co-Chairman in 2001.  At the time of his retirement, The Home Depot was a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and one of Fortune magazine’s “Global Most Admired Companies.”  During Blank’s last year as CEO of the company, The Home Depot ranked first in social responsibility in an annual survey conducted by Harris Interactive, Inc.

Blank is recognized throughout the country for his personal and professional achievements.  In 2008, Blank received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of South Carolina-Bluffton.  In 2006, he was named a Distinguished American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, which every year recognizes an individual who has utilized his or her talents to attain great success in business, private life, or public service.  Also in 2006, Blank was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame, and was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities from Furman University.  In 2005, he was named National Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young.
In 2003, for the second time in three years, Blank was named Georgia’s Most Respected CEO by Georgia Trend magazine, and in 2002 he was inducted into Georgia State University’s Business Hall of Fame.  Among other previous honors, Babson College inducted Blank into its Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs in 1995 and conferred on him an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in 1998.

Blank serves on a number of boards including:  Outward Bound USA; the Board of Trustees of The Carter Center, Inc.; the Board of Trustees of Emory University; the Board of Trustees of The Cooper Institute; and the boards of Cox Enterprises, Inc., and Staples, Inc.

In September 2001, Blank joined the faculty of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School as its first Distinguished Executive in Residence.  He now serves as a Goizueta Executive Fellow.  Blank also served as the 2003 Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

Blank has six children and two grandchildren. He and Stephanie, and their three youngest children live in Atlanta.  A strong believer in work-life balance, Blank still makes time daily for working out and spending time with his family.