Some careers follow a straight line. Michael Lienert’s has been more like a map of the country, with stops in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Chicago, and Detroit, each one building on the last and adding another dimension to his professional story.
Lienert is a revenue and partnerships leader whose career spans sports, entertainment, hospitality, and now real estate. What ties it all together is not just an impressive list of organizations but a consistent approach: find the hardest challenge, build from the ground up, and deliver results that hold up over time.
Starting in Los Angeles: Selling Something That Didn’t Exist Yet
Before there was a team name on a jersey or a single game on the schedule, Michael Lienert was already at work.
He joined Los Angeles Football Club during its early formation stages as one of the club’s first hires, brought on through Legends Hospitality before LAFC had played a match. The task was unlike most sales roles. There was no product to show, no stadium to walk through, and no history to point to. The job was to sell premium seating, partnerships, and hospitality experiences years before Banc of California Stadium opened its gates – in a city already crowded with professional sports options.
The approach required a different kind of sales philosophy: lead with vision, build trust through storytelling, and frame long-term value for clients who were being asked to commit early. It worked. The full premium inventory sold ahead of opening, and a number of marquee founding partners were secured, helping establish LAFC as one of the more successful expansion clubs in professional sports history. That foundation shaped how Lienert thinks about every deal since.
He then moved to the Los Angeles Chargers’ SoFi Stadium project, leading suite sales efforts during another high-stakes build phase. The Chargers had just relocated from San Diego, which meant the premium client base had to be rebuilt largely from scratch in a new market, for a new stadium that was setting a new standard for what a sports and entertainment venue could be. His team delivered one of the most successful early-phase premium sales launches for a new stadium project, building a multi-year pipeline through strategic outreach and long-term relationship development.
A Track Record Across Major Markets
After Los Angeles, Michael Lienert took on senior leadership roles with some of the most recognizable organizations in sports:
- Detroit Tigers – Contributed to premium sales and partnerships strategy within one of baseball’s most established franchises
- Detroit Red Wings – Gained experience across one of the NHL’s storied clubs, deepening his work in premium experiences and revenue development
- Chicago Fire FC – Applied his soccer-specific expertise in another major market, building on the foundation laid during his time with LAFC
- Vue Orleans (Legends) – Served as General Manager of the Vue Orleans experience in New Orleans, overseeing premium sales, private events, and revenue operations for a one-of-a-kind hospitality venue
In each role, the core responsibilities were similar: build and lead high-performing teams, structure complex deals, and drive consistent revenue growth. But the markets, the organizations, and the challenges were different enough to require constant adaptation. That range of experience, from the MLB and NFL adjacencies of SoFi Stadium to the day-to-day operations of a premier dining and entertainment destination in New Orleans, is what separates Lienert from executives who have excelled in one lane.
His work at Vue Orleans drew attention from outlets including Biz New Orleans and Legends Global, which covered the venue’s launch and the partnership that brought it to life.
What Leadership Actually Looks Like
Leadership gets talked about constantly in professional settings. Lienert’s version of it is grounded in execution rather than theory.
Across every role he has held, the through-line has been a willingness to do the operational and strategic work simultaneously. He has not been the type of executive who sits at the top of a structure and delegates downward. He has built sales infrastructure, run partnership negotiations, managed teams, and worked directly with corporate clients and high-net-worth individuals at the same time.
That combination of strategic thinking and hands-on execution is rare. It is also what makes his transition into new verticals more credible. A leader who has built revenue pipelines across multiple industries and multiple cities is not starting over when they enter a new field, they are applying a tested method to a new context.
Expanding Into Real Estate and Business Development
Michael Lienert is now channeling his background in partnerships and revenue strategy into a diversified business platform that includes real estate and broader advisory work.
He holds a Michigan Real Estate License and a Michigan Life and Health Insurance License – practical credentials that reflect a clear commitment to expanding beyond sports and entertainment into areas where his relationship-driven approach can continue to create value. He is currently working with Brandt Real Estate, with a focus across commercial, land, and residential opportunities.
His presence is being built out across key real estate platforms, including Realtor.com, Zillow, and Redfin, with the goal of becoming a credible, connected resource for clients looking for guidance across a wide range of property types and markets.
The transition makes sense when you look at the trajectory. The skills that allowed him to close long-term suite leases at SoFi Stadium and build founding partnerships for LAFC – relationship management, negotiation, reading a client’s long-term interests, communicating value clearly – translate directly into high-level real estate and advisory work. The context has changed. The core competencies have not.
About Michael Lienert
Michael Lienert is a revenue and partnerships leader based in Michigan, with professional ties across Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and the Reno/Lake Tahoe area. His career spans senior roles with organizations including the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Fire FC, Los Angeles Football Club, the Los Angeles Chargers, and Legends, where he served as General Manager of Vue Orleans in New Orleans. He holds a Michigan Real Estate License and a Michigan Life and Health Insurance License, and is currently working with Brandt Real Estate across commercial, land, and residential opportunities. Outside of work, Lienert values time with family, travel, and building meaningful connections both personally and professionally.
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