Pete Guelli could have skirted the question. The answer was uncomfortable. Truth sometimes is.
“It’s painful to admit,” the Rochester, N.Y., native and SUNY Brockport alum said, “but I was somehow a Miami Dolphins fan growing up.”
If that’s the lone skeleton in Guelli’s closet and the biggest scandal he encounters, then he will prove a terrific choice as the Buffalo Bills’ and Buffalo Sabres’ next chief operating officer.
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Guelli certainly carries the credentials. After cutting his teeth with the Bills and rising to senior vice president, he joined the NBA’s struggling Charlotte Bobcats in 2009 and helped oversee new owner Michael Jordan’s prosperous rebrand to the Hornets and rose to COO. Guelli for the past five years has been the New York Giants’ chief business officer. He also owns a piece of reigning National Women’s Soccer League champion NJ/NY Gotham FC.
“And I can swear to you,” Guelli added to his droll revelation, “the moment I joined the Bills’ organization I became a Bills fan and have been one ever since. They were my AFC team while I worked for the Giants. My loyalties are clear.”
Guelli still was in his Giants office Tuesday afternoon while speaking with The Athletic about his professional homecoming. He didn’t want to get caught in any fibs before he officially starts in a few weeks. Enough of his former Bills co-workers are around and would bust him. Maybe even his wife, Patty, would too. She’s a Penfield High grad and the true lifelong Bills fan in the family.
Joking aside, Guelli has been interested in moving back to Western New York for a while. Two years ago, Kim Pegula wanted to hire him to be the Sabres’ COO, but he was under contract with the Giants, who blocked the interview.
“It’s a surreal moment,” Guelli said during an introductory video conference with Buffalo reporters. “I think from the minute I left, there was always a little bit of me that wanted to come back.
“You just never expect things are going to work out like this, but it’s almost like a gravitational pull in some ways, when you come from the area and take a lot of pride in growing up there and representing your hometown teams.”
Buffalo’s front offices have been a volatile mess for six years, a numbing cycle of turnover and downsizing.
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Bills and Sabres president Russ Brandon resigned after co-owners Terry and Kim Pegula confronted him over inappropriate relationships with employees. At the time, Pegula Sports and Entertainment, the umbrella over the family’s non-petroleum business, featured eight executive vice presidents. Most eventually were fired. Some vacancies weren’t filled. Duties were consolidated.
Kim Pegula’s debilitating cardiac arrest in June 2022 put heavy stress on the Bills’ and Sabres’ front offices. In July 2023, Terry Pegula fired COO and chief stadium negotiator Ron Raccuia as part of an administrative shakeup that put John Roth in charge of the Bills and Sabres and dissolved PSE altogether. By then, only one of those eight executive VPs remained, although he had been reassigned to a senior VP title with limited scope.
The leadership group lasted less than three months. In September, Terry Pegula fired Roth and Bills general counsel Kathryn D’Angelo for having a romantic relationship.
Five months of interim executives later, the Bills and Sabres need Guelli to bring desperately needed stability.
In an interview with The Athletic, Guelli shared his thoughts about workplace culture, how his background can make a positive impact on teams in disparate circumstances (the Bills have reached the playoffs five years straight, while the Sabres are about to extend their drought to 13 seasons), going from the largest sports market to one of the tiniest, lessons learned working for Jordan and that pesky rumor about the hockey team being for sale.
Ralph Wilson still owned the Bills in 2009, when you left the team for the NBA. How have you gotten to know Terry Pegula over the years?
I met Kim first at the NFL owners’ meetings five years ago. We just connected over our shared love for Buffalo, and we would chat at every meeting. Kim eventually introduced me to Terry, and it created a relationship.
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What was the courting process like?
I can only tell you from my experience. A few weeks ago, (Giants owner) John Mara called me and said the Bills had reached out and asked permission to speak with me about a role over there. We chatted about what it was, and I told John, “Look, I’m not looking to leave the Giants. We’re doing some amazing things here. However, this is an incredible opportunity. If you would allow it, then I would like to explore it because it’s my hometown.” He said, “Let me give it some thought.” He called back the next day and said, “I approved it.” I told him that I knew this was uncomfortable for everybody, that “I know you lean on me a lot here. But, trust me, if this wasn’t the absolute right opportunity I would not pursue it.”
Subsequently, the Bills reached out. We set up a meeting 10 days or so later in Florida. I met with Terry, Laura (Pegula), (Pegula home office CIO) Adam Gusky, (home office general counsel) John Sieminski and (home office CFO) Gary Hagerman. Brandon Beane Zoomed in. (Bills senior VP and chief legal officer) Terry Gilbride participated. We spent five or so hours together, just talking about the Bills and Sabres and their vision, my vision, how to approach it. We had dinner afterwards, and then I don’t remember the exact day – they were talking to other people and had a process they were committed to – Terry called and said, “We’d love you to join the organization.” I told John Mara about this amazing opportunity and that I’d like to commit to it.
We’re live with Pete Guelli after being named Chief Operating Officer of the Bills and Sabres! #GoBills | #BillsMafia https://t.co/r5tNIh6Fcr
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) March 20, 2024
You were approached about the Sabres COO position in 2022. Why didn’t that come to fruition?
They were looking for somebody to spearhead operations for the Sabres. Kim reached out to the Giants and asked permission to speak with me, and it was denied. This is a big business here, and I think John’s feeling was this was not a like-to-like role. So he denied it. I just had to move forward and continue to work for the Giants.
How did you feel about John Mara’s decision back then?
I thought it was fair. I was very interested in coming back to Buffalo, but it was … you’re talking about the New York Giants, one of the most valuable franchises in professional sports. The scale here is so massive. I think, rightfully so, this is as big as it gets in this industry, and John may not be wrong. I was fine with it. I completely understood and just got back to work.
The COO of any big-league team is a huge job. How do you plan to split your time while overseeing two?
It’s all about setting up a structure and a cadence of communication that’s going to allow everybody to feel like they’re getting the appropriate amount of attention. To tell you exactly how it’s going to be split before I get there is a little bit difficult because some of it is day-to-day operations of the teams. Some of it is more project-based and will require more time than others. But I would think it will be a reasonable split in time between the two franchises.
Before taking the job, you at least took a look under the hood and must have an opinion of what you need to be most effective. What are your thoughts on filling vacated roles or adding more executives to bolster either front office?
In my experience, what works is structure, people, process, culture. The first thing we’ll do is look at the structure and make sure we’re set up the right way. It’s really difficult to ascertain who is the right person if you don’t know what the appropriate structure is. So every time I’ve ever undertaken a project like this, there are always a lot of great people in these organizations. Some of them are very obvious. Some of them might be buried a little bit on the depth chart. But there’s always talent. There’s always open positions once you do the restructuring, always a chance to augment the talent you have. And, frankly, once you determine the direction you want, some people opt out.
I don’t have a blow-it-up mentality. I don’t think that’s productive. I just think you take a really deliberate approach to creating the right structure and then make sure you’ve got the talent to fit those positions.
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You mentioned culture. There has been significant turnover among Bills and Sabres executives over the past five years. Why leave the blueblood New York Giants amid such volatility in Buffalo?
I guess I don’t really see it that way. The Bills are an incredibly stable operation to begin with, and I think the Sabres are a hidden gem. I think there’s a ton of opportunity there. I’m undaunted.
I went into a very unstable situation in Charlotte. We were able to completely turn that business around. I think we can create the type of culture with the Sabres where people are going to be excited to come to work every day. That’s not easy in a small market. You need to be really talented to do those jobs, and anything that’s a challenge, people should almost wear that as a badge of honor. This is incredible on-the-job training for opportunities within our organization or opportunities to grow your career. I want to create a culture where people are excited about what we’re building. I’ve done it. I’ve seen it. I know it can work. That’s something I’m really motivated to go in and make a difference on the ground with the Sabres.
A lot of your former Buffalo co-workers and friends have been forced to resign or were fired over that time. What were your thoughts from afar as all that has unfolded?
I can’t say I was tracking every single move that people were making in Buffalo. Regardless of history, I’ve always wanted to come back and make a difference. After working 16 years in the NFL, 10 years with the Hornets in an arena model, I think I’m kind of uniquely suited to come in and help with both properties and create the kind of culture that Terry wants, and that’s important in a city like Buffalo. It’s hard for me to speak on what happened. I wasn’t there for any of that. I just know what I’m going to be focused on moving forward.
How would you describe your role as a minority owner of NJ/NY Gotham FC and meshing it with your Bills and Sabres responsibilities?
Gotham FC is definitely a passive investment now — just to remove any avoidance of doubt. My focus is on the Bills and the Sabres, but having that ownership role gave me a different perspective on the business and the team. It’s been helpful to me.
They approached me about just helping from a consulting perspective and then asked if I’d consider being a strategic investor. I agreed, and then I went to Eli Manning and said, “I think this is interesting. You should consider it.” He jumped on board and subsequently it’s gone so well that the Tisch family, who are 50 percent owners in the Giants, have bought the majority share of the team.
It was clear to see where the league was going, and I knew I could help by virtue of the institutional knowledge I have. It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience, literally going from last place to a championship. To watch the celebration when they won it in San Diego and to see how important it was to everybody is challenging to put into words. That has been a lot more amazing than I could ever have anticipated. I got involved because I really wanted to support women’s sports, and it’s just turned into this rocket ship of a league.
How did working for the Giants influence your view of the Bills’ place within the NFL business landscape?
It’s pretty obvious. The Bills were a topic of conversation at every league meeting, especially when they decided on a new stadium. They’re always building innovative platforms to make sure they’re on the cutting edge in the league. I felt the Bills got the same amount of attention as any other team at the league meetings. The NFL is about the power of 32. You’re only as strong as your weakest team. Everybody in the league believes in that. Even the small-market teams have a chance to be successful, and I don’t think you have to look any further than the national TV games the Bills get and what the environment in that stadium is like and some of the things the players are doing on a national stage. The Bills are very well-positioned, even as a small-market team.
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In a Charlotte Observer story about your 2019 departure from the Hornets for the Giants, you were quoted: “It is hard to articulate what a challenging place the business was in when I got here. All business metrics were at the bottom of the NBA. Morale was low. That created an incredible opportunity for growth.” That sounds a lot like the Sabres. What can you apply from your Hornets experience?
It’s going in and creating a mindset, in a performance-based culture, in a meritocracy where people are rewarded for how they perform, and eventually it starts to manifest itself into success. You have to stack wins, find ways to create success within that building, celebrate that success, make sure everybody shares in it. Then it becomes contagious.
My experience in Charlotte really is applicable to what’s going on in Buffalo. I agree that I don’t know the depth because I haven’t been in there yet, but I’m highly confident that a lot of the strategies employed there are going to be things we can use with the Sabres.
So to replicate that situation you’re going to reach out to Wayne Gretzky about becoming a part-owner of the Sabres?
(Laughter) You know, ironically enough, when I left the Hornets, M.J. was terrific and said, “I hate to lose you, but I understand. If you need anything on the way out the door …” I said, “The only thing I need is access to your golf course (The Grove XXIII) once it’s finished.” So I go down there three or four times a year to play, and I see Wayne Gretzky there all the time. So if we needed to get to him we probably could. But, no, he’s not part of the strategy.
What lessons or observations stand out from your time working with Michael Jordan?
First of all, if you can be in the room with M.J., you can be in the room with anybody. Nothing will intimidate you after that. He was an incredible leader, incredibly confident, very decisive. He was a branding expert and was all about authenticity. If it didn’t feel authentic to him, he was not going to do it.
When you’re representing brands like the Bills and the Sabres, you better make sure you’re taking an authentic approach to how you’re marketing them because the fans know the difference. I’ve learned a lot from all the owners that I worked for, but M.J. particularly, when you factor in the level of success that he’s had, was somebody I took a lot from.
How do you feel about joining a team in the middle of building a roughly $2 billion stadium?
In a perfect world, you’d always like to be here at the very beginning of a project like this, but there’s still a lot of time before this building is opened. I’m sure I’ll be able to come in and evaluate where it’s at and make sure that it’s positioned as well as possible for when they finally open those doors.
The important thing is the building needs to be full. It has to be full, and it needs to be an incredible experience for Bills fans, and it needs to be a home-field advantage. So I think we’ve got time to look at all the aspects of that and make sure we’re making all the right decisions to put us in the best position.
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Given the involvement of Legends in so many of the Bills’ stadium initiatives, the entire sales process for the new stadium essentially has been outsourced. What are your thoughts on that dynamic?
I’ve worked closely with a number of consultants in my career, and sometimes it’s just a bandwidth challenge. It’s tough to go out and find enough people to add to your corps of employees to manage a project like that. There’s a lot of good reasons to bring in a consultant on something like this. That’s another aspect of the project I’m looking forward to, spending a lot of time with Legends, understanding what their strategy is for the property, offering what I can.
But ultimately these consultants and vendors work for the team, and it’s our name on the building. We’re going to work closely with them to make sure everything we need to get done by Legends is being handled. Coming in with some experience of working in a PSL model, there’s some things I can bring to the table they may or may not have thought of. Either way, it’s about collaborating and making sure that the building ends up exactly what Terry expects it to be.
Making progress every single day. 😍
The newest episode of Built for Buffalo is live: https://t.co/kntg1QdFDp pic.twitter.com/MhQwXIMIXV
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) March 9, 2024
For the past few years, there have been persistent rumors in Western New York business circles that the Sabres are for sale. What can you say about that?
There’s been zero discussion about anything relative to a sale of the Buffalo Sabres. It was a critically important part of our discussion, and if you can find an owner who’s more committed to his hockey team, I’d like to see who that is.
Aside from just winning more games, what can be done to improve the Sabres’ attendance, which is second-lowest in terms of capacity percentage?
A lot. When you look at the business model, it’s never one thing. It’s an alignment of a number of different parts of the business. It’s got to be a great value proposition. Tickets have to be priced right. The experience has to be great. You’ve got to be able to come in and enjoy the food and beverage when you walk in. You’ve got to make sure people have a great time when they’re in your building.
The NBA model is an interesting one: There’s season tickets, individual game tickets, partial plans, a lot of ways to build the momentum. Until I get there and understand the numbers in each specific area, it’s difficult to say what the strategy is going to be, but I’ve had a 41-game home season with a team that was challenged on the court. We still always found a way to make sure that building was active on a nightly basis.
Granted, you know Buffalo sports very well, but you’re leaving the nation’s largest media market for one of the NFL’s and NHL’s smallest. The sales pitches are different here. How will your business approach change in that regard?
You have to determine what you want your narrative to be. When we create a story, I think I’m in a good position to tell it. Look, I left and went down to Charlotte, a growing city, working for Michael Jordan, you have an incredible brand there. Then I got recruited to come up to New York, the biggest market in the country, and I wanted to come back to Buffalo.
So if anybody’s going to be in a position to talk about why you should stay in Buffalo, why you should come to Buffalo, why you should do business in Buffalo, I think that’s something I can really help with. I’ve always felt Western New York punches above its weight. It’s extremely provincial. The brands are very strong. The football team is highly competitive. The hockey team is headed in the right direction.
I think the story is going to write itself.
(Top photo of Pete Guelli: David T. Foster III / Charlotte Observer / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
