Vince Kozar

In less than 20 years, Vince Kozar has risen from intern to president of the Phoenix Mercury WNBA franchise. He began as an intern with the Mercury in 2004. After serving as the communications manager for the Mercury's championship-winning season in 2007, he spent six seasons in the Phoenix Suns' basketball communications department. In 2013, Kozar returned to the Mercury as the director of communications and creative strategies, taking on a more active role in the team's business operations. His dedication and leadership led to his promotion to vice president in 2014.

Under Kozar's guidance, the Mercury won their third championship in 2014, hosted the WNBA All-Star Game and led the league in attendance, earning them the WNBA's prestigious President's Award. Kozar's leadership also contributed to the Mercury being recognized as the second runner-up in the WNBA's Franchise of the Year competition in 2017 and 2018.

In 2017, Kozar assumed the role of chief operating officer for the Mercury, and in 2018, he took on the additional responsibility of being the chief operating officer for the Arena Sports Group (ASG). As COO, Kozar oversaw the day-to-day business operations of the Mercury and the Northern Arizona Suns (NBA G-League), and the ticket sales operations of the independently-owned Arizona Rattlers (Indoor Football League).

In 2021, Kozar was appointed president of the Phoenix Mercury. In this role, he is responsible for all aspects of the franchise's day-to-day business operations, focusing on revenue, brand awareness and community impact. His responsibilities include overseeing ticket sales and service, partnership development and activation, public relations and social responsibility, social media and website content, brand marketing, overall messaging and communication and enhancing the in-arena experience.

“The most important risk I took was moving over from the Suns organization to the Mercury side in 2013,” Kozar said. “The NBA is gigantic and important and the operation on our NBA side is top-tier, but I don’t know if it needs me. Our WNBA operation, the women’s game, and what we’re trying to build with the Mercury needs my energy every day. I’ve always kind of been drawn to being a big fish in a small pond because of the impact that you can have. The number of things I get to touch daily on the Mercury side compared to what I was formerly able to do on the Suns’ side is tremendous. So, while it may have been safer to stay on the Suns’ side, the growth I’ve experienced and the impact that I’ve hopefully been able to have has certainly made it worth it.”

Kozar was named to the Athletic's 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in Women's Basketball in 2021 and was honored as a Spotlight Local Hero by ONE Community in 2017. He serves on the ONE Community Multicultural Advisory Board and is a board member at Phoenix's Valley Youth Theater.