Henry Cardenas

Henry Cardenas

President & Chief Executive Officer
Cardenas Marketing Network, Inc.

Henry Cardenas, 55, is the President/CEO of Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN). Mr. Cardenas, who co-founded CMN in September 2003, has spent the last 30 years managing and producing some of the biggest live entertainment events in the U.S. and across Latin America. Prior to launching CMN, he spent 16 years at the helm of Cardenas/Fernandez & Associates (CFA), making it the largest Hispanic production company of music and sports in the U.S. and the Caribbean.

Mr. Cardenas leads a dynamic, multicultural event marketing team that has engineered nationally acclaimed, brand-building consumer experiences for corporate giants including Anheuser-Busch, H&R Block, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, Diageo, American Airlines, and McDonald's, among others. Each year, CMN produces more than 500 live events, impacting the event marketing industry by incorporating the passion points of consumers into innovative experiential campaigns for brands worldwide.

For his pioneering efforts and vision, Mr. Cardenas was inducted into the 2011 Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. He was also recently selected to Billboard's Inaugural Latin Power Players list.

Despite its short history, CMN has already won numerous awards and recognitions for its highly creative and customized programs. In June 2011, for the third time in four years, it was selected to Crain's Chicago Business' "50 Fastest Growing Companies", and it has been named twice to Event Marketer's "It List" (2009, 2010), Hispanic Business' "HB 500" (2009, 2010) and Promo Magazine's "Top Worldwide Promoters" (2010, 2011).

Music Magnate
Mr. Cardenas, who was born in Colombia, made his mark in 1985 by organizing the first-ever Pan American Music Festival in his adopted home of Chicago. His foresight and leadership led it to become one of the most successful and long-lasting festivals in the country. Following in those footsteps, he organized the Festival Presidente, for the Dominican National Brewery, and the annual festival went on to become that country's premiere music event from 1997 to 2005.

He has produced over 5,000 live concerts that have featured some of the most prominent artists in the music industry, including Marc Anthony, Luis Miguel, Aventura, Mana, Carlos Vives, Daddy Yankee, Vicente Fernandez, Juan Gabriel, Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin, making him the most influential Latin concert promoter in the U.S. He has also produced some of the highest grossing acts in Latin music history, including Marc Anthony at New York's MSG ($1.7 million, 2009), Mana at Chicago's Allstate Arena ($1.7 million, 2007), Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony at Chicago's United Center ($1.5 million, 2007), and Vicente Fernandez both at the Madison Square Garden ($1.5 million, 2008) and Allstate Arena ($1.4 million, 2008).

Constantly seeking to promote the work of Latino artists, Mr. Cardenas took his love for music and the arts to venture into a new production with "Celia," an Off-Broadway musical based on the life of the late Cuban singer Celia Cruz. He is the show's executive producer, and the musical marks his second Off-Broadway hit following the highly acclaimed "Who Killed Hector Lavoe" (2001). "Celia" received critical acclaim, going on a global tour from 2007-2010. "Salsa's Queen Still Rules," raved the New York Daily News.

Futbol Aficionado
A life-long soccer enthusiast, Mr. Cardenas has produced over 100 club and international soccer games throughout the U.S. His admiration for the world's game has helped showcase some of the world's most renowned futbol teams including Club America and Guadalajara (Mexico), Boca Juniors and River Plate (Argentina), as well as the national teams of Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay and Colombia, among others.

His involvement in domestic soccer has been equally avid. From 1997 to 2000, his team served as the Hispanic marketing arm for Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire, then owned by AEG.

However, his most important venture in soccer arrived in February of 2010, when CMN announced an unprecedented partnership with the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The agreement includes the organization of matches featuring the two-time FIFA World Cup Champion through June 2014. CMN will manage the exclusive commercial rights -- including broadcast, marketing and sponsorship rights -- for the team, featuring reigning FIFA Player of the Year and FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.

Mr. Cardenas has a Bachelors of Arts Degree from Northeastern Illinois University and a MBA from Governor State University.