Fifth Third Adds Cincinnati Bengals Executive to Board

Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati has named an executive of the Cincinnati Bengals football team to its board.

Katherine Blackburn, a principal owner and executive vice president for the sports franchise, is the daughter of Mike Brown, the team's primary owner. Blackburn is in charge of managing the Bengals' NFL salary cap and is also involved in player contract negotiations. She also chairs the National Football League's Super Bowl and diversity committees and is a trustee on the NFL's player retirement benefit board.

"Our team is excited to work with the Katie and benefit from her unique business experience running operations for a professional football team," Kevin Kabat, Fifth Third's chief executive, said in a press release Wednesday. "Her familiarity with our company and headquarters city of Cincinnati is also a plus."

Blackburn is also the granddaughter of Paul Brown, a former coach of the Cleveland Browns who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

Fifth Third in September signed a five-year extension of its sponsorship agreement with the Bengals, worth more than $7.9 million, according to a Dec. 17 regulatory filing.

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