Lester Bagley brings more than three decades of public affairs, communications and executive leadership experience to his role as Vikings Executive Vice President of Public Affairs. Currently in his 20th season with the Vikings, Bagley oversees public affairs and external relations for the team.
Bagley serves on the Minnesota Vikings executive leadership team and works closely with team owners Zygi, Mark and Lenny Wilf and their families as they advance the Vikings mission. Bagley works with the Wilf family as they continue to build a sports, entertainment and real estate business outside of the Vikings. Bagley has worked on several projects with the Wilf family, including the development of the Viking Lakes campus and the acquisition of the Orlando City/Orlando Pride soccer organization in 2021. Bagley serves on the Executive Board of the Orlando soccer venture.
During his tenure at the Vikings, Bagley played a lead role on one of the most significant accomplishments in franchise history – securing legislative and community support for the iconic U.S. Bank Stadium. The $1.1 billion multi-purpose facility, the largest construction project in Minnesota history, has proven to be one of the finest stadiums in the world. U.S. Bank Stadium has won several awards for its construction, design and operation. During the 2023 Minnesota Legislative Session, the Vikings led the effort to pay off U.S. Bank Stadium in its entirety, 20 years ahead of schedule.
Bagley is also part of the Vikings leadership team that planned and designed Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, the state-of-the-art Vikings team headquarters, which opened in 2018. The Vikings team headquarters and practice facility occupy approximately 40 acres of the 200-acre Viking Lakes campus in Eagan, Minn. The growing broader development includes a medical office building, a sports performance center, new residences and other mixed uses to create a live-work-play destination. In October 2020, the Omni Vikings Lakes Hotel, a four-star hotel and conference center, opened on Viking Lakes campus. Bagley works with the hotel ownership group and the MV Ventures development team to promote events and build momentum for the broader campus.
Bagley continues to play a leadership role in building external relationships in Minnesota, the NFL, MLS and throughout professional and collegiate sports. The Vikings organization and Wilf family enjoy excellent relationships with elected officials, media, and business, labor and community leaders in Minnesota, Florida and nationally.
Bagley is a founding member and serves on the executive board of Minnesota Sports and Events, which is focused on bringing major sporting events to the Minneapolis-St. Paul market, including the Super Bowl, NCAA Men's and Women's Final Fours, X Games, WWE's Summer Slam, USA Gymnastics and other high-profile events. Bagley also served on the executive board and played a significant role in securing and delivering the successful Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Bagley currently serves as vice chair of the Minnesota Vikings Foundation and serves on the board of the Orlando Soccer Foundation. He also serves on the boards of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the Public Affairs Council, Twin Cities Dunkers and the St. Thomas Academy Fathers' Club and is immediate past chair of Meet Minneapolis.
A native of Barron, Wis., Bagley attended the University of Minnesota before graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He served as a White House intern and studied at the University of Oxford during his undergraduate days. Bagley and his wife Wendy, who is a graduate of the College of St. Catherine, reside in Minneapolis with their sons Michael and Charlie.
