HANK J. RATNER President and CEO, Madison Square Garden

Hank J. Ratner is President and Chief Executive Officer of Madison Square Garden, which includes renowned performance venues, entertainment properties, professional sports teams and television networks. Mr. Ratner directs the overall growth strategy and day-to-day operations of the business. He also serves as alternate governor to the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League on behalf of the New York Knicks and Rangers.

MSG's signature assets consist of some of the nation's most popular entertainment and sports properties, including "The World's Most Famous Arena," along with New York's Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre, The Chicago Theatre and the Wang Theatre in Boston. Other MSG entities include the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty; MSG Entertainment, a live-entertainment company; MSG and MSG Plus, regional sports and entertainment networks; and Fuse, a national music network.

In February of 2010, Mr. Ratner led the spin off of Madison Square Garden from Cablevision Systems Corporation and, today, MSG operates as a standalone, public company. He is also spearheading the transformation of MSG, which will significantly enhance the experience of customers, athletes, entertainers, suite holders and partners. In addition, the project will include a dramatically redesigned Seventh Avenue entrance, new seats, improved sightlines, new Event Level and Lower Level suites, two new bridges suspended above the playing surface, and spectacular public concourses. The Transformation will also pay homage to the building’s storied history, while restoring the  Garden's distinctive and celebrated ceiling.

Mr. Ratner served as MSG's Vice Chairman for seven years before being named President and Chief Executive Officer, following MSG's spin off from Cablevision. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Ratner has been influential in formulating and implementing strategic direction for MSG. He played a key role in bringing three of the country's landmark showplaces – New York City's legendary Beacon Theatre, the historic Chicago Theatre and the Wang Theatre in Boston – under MSG management. In addition, he helped to secure the company’s successful relationship with Cirque du Soleil and developed MSG’s music strategy which emphasizes collaboration between MSG Entertainment and Fuse to provide a unique platform for artists to connect with fans and creates innovative programming for Fuse viewers. MSG’s music strategy has already led to the development of the “Fuse Presents” concert series in which Fuse presents live concerts from MSG’s iconic venues.

As Chairman of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the non-profit that works closely with all areas of Madison Square Garden, Mr. Ratner has been a driving force behind the creation and significant expansion of the charity's programs, enhancing its commitment to make dreams come true for children facing enormous obstacles. Since its inception in 2006, Garden of Dreams has created thousands of once-in-a-lifetime experiences at MSG, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, the MSG Training Center, and at Fuse and MSG television studios brightening the lives of more than 150,000 tri-state area children in crisis, and their families.

Mr. Ratner has also served as vice chairman of Cablevision Systems Corporation since 2003. In this role, he helps to set corporate direction and strategy for the media and telecommunications company whose portfolio of operations includes a full suite of advanced digital television, voice and high-speed Internet services, some of the country’s most-watched national television networks, and valuable local media and programming properties. Prior to serving as MSG and Cablevision vice chairman, Mr. Ratner served as COO and then Vice Chairman of Rainbow Media Holdings, the programming subsidiary of Cablevision. At Rainbow, he helped lead the executive management team that directed AMC, IFC, Bravo, WE tv, Fuse, Lifeskool, News 12 Networks, Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Sports Networks. In 2005, Mr. Ratner led Cablevision's negotiations with Fox to restructure the ownership of assets held by Regional Programming Partners, a partnership between the two companies. This restructuring gave Cablevision, among other benefits, 100 percent ownership of MSG and its properties.

Mr. Ratner joined Cablevision as Assistant General Counsel in 1987. A year later, he moved to Rainbow Media, rising to the position of Rainbow's Chief Operating Officer in 1998. Mr. Ratner was then promoted to Vice Chairman of Cablevision before also being named Vice Chairman of MSG in 2003.

Previously, Mr. Ratner was an associate with the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell. He received a bachelor's degree and doctorate of law with distinction from Emory University.

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