Mark Tilson
Chief Commercial Officer
My primary focus at Schedule Any Lesson is building relationships with leading organizations and businesses across the country that share common objectives with our company. The mission of these strategic relationships is to enhance the capabilities and resources of our private instructors while also connecting people with the best instruction possible. Through lessons and private instruction, people are achieving their goals and improving in the areas that are important to them.
I come to Schedule Any Lesson from the industry of professional sports and collegiate athletics where I spent over 20 years in the areas of sales, business development, corporate partnerships, consumer marketing and fan entertainment/engagement. When Cliff approached me about joining Schedule Any Lesson, it was important for me to look at the company from two different perspectives. First, I wanted to understand what other sites are out there for teachers, instructors and coaches and how Schedule Any Lesson is a better alternative for them as well as for the end users that are looking to book private lessons. The more I studied the marketplace, the more convinced I became that we offer the most dynamic platform to help instructors grow their business without unnecessary interference in how they communicate with customers, book lessons or handle payments. And, since we never take fees from the end user and promote direct communication with instructors, there’s no doubt we’re the most attractive option for people looking for private instruction. Looking from the perspective of an organization whose members or customers are coaches or teachers, Schedule Any Lesson is a resource that can genuinely help their customers. Based on this, it is incredibly motivating to be able to build relationships with companies and organizations that are founded on the shared objective of providing real value and helping people improve themselves.
A little about me: I grew up in the Los Angeles area. After graduating from Loyola High School (Go Cubs!), I headed East to Columbia University in New York City. During my time at Columbia I played basketball for two seasons and was a high jumper all four years, serving as the Track & Field Team Captain my senior season. After school, I returned to the West Coast and worked for a couple of start-up companies in San Diego before landing a job with the San Diego Padres Baseball Club. I spent 10 years with the Padres before leaving to become VP of Sales and Marketing for the Washington Nationals (2006-07) and then the Kansas City Royals (2007-09). My last front office position was Senior VP of the Miami Dolphins (2009-12). Perhaps the most unique and gratifying thing about my time in sports was the opportunity to be involved in the opening of PETCO Park in San Diego and Nationals Park in Washington DC, along with the $250 million renovation of Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Prior to joining Schedule Any Lesson, I spent the last five years with JMI Sports working with some of the country’s top collegiate athletics departments. For the past two years, I oversaw the company’s relationship with ASU, where we led efforts to establish corporate partnerships on behalf of the university.
My wife, Brooke, and I have two children. Our daughter, Dylan, is currently a high school freshman and our son, Wyatt, is a fourth grader. We are based in Scottsdale, AZ but most of our family on both sides are in California. We try to get back to the beach (and cooler weather!) as much as possible.