Max Novena, Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches
Max Novena is the Executive Director of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, a PGA Tour event played annually at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens. In this role, Max leads the overall tournament business, working closely with Cognizant, PGA National, community and civic leaders, corporate partners, and the PGA Tour to grow the event's impact across Palm Beach County.In addition to leading the Cognizant Classic, Max continues to support business, revenue, and strategic initiatives across PGA Tour Events, including the Cadillac Championship and Biltmore Championship Asheville. His broader work includes commercial strategy, sponsor relationships, revenue planning, stakeholder alignment, and supporting tournament teams as they strengthen their businesses and deliver for title sponsors, host communities, partners, fans, players, and volunteers.
Max previously served as Executive Director of The Sentry, formerly the PGA Tour's season-opening event on Maui. In that role, he led the overall tournament business and worked closely with Sentry Insurance, The Plantation Course, Kapalua Resort, community leaders, state and county officials, and local partners.
Prior to rejoining the PGA Tour in 2022, Max held leadership roles across sports and live events, including serving as Head of Commercial for the World Surf League and Kelly Slater Wave Company. Earlier in his career, he worked at PGA Tour headquarters overseeing revenue for Championship Management, served as Championship Director and Sales Director for multiple USGA National Championships, and held roles with the University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado Avalanche, and Denver Nuggets.