The challenge: hiring in Germany and Brazil without entity setup
When the NFL awarded the New England Patriots rights to the German market through its Global Markets Program, Kraft Sports + Entertainment (KSE) saw an opportunity. American football was growing fast in Germany, and KSE knew that capitalizing on that momentum meant having someone on the ground — a local operations manager who understood the market, the culture, and the fans. In early 2023, they found exactly the right candidate. The challenge was hiring them quickly, in a country where KSE had no legal entity.
Brazil wasn't far behind. With an estimated 38 million American football fans and the NFL hosting its first-ever game in São Paulo in 2024, KSE saw the same opportunity — and faced the same hurdle.
The solution: a global hiring partner with in-country expertise
To expedite the hiring process and navigate international labor laws, KSE turned to G-P — their existing Gillette Stadium naming rights partner. G-P's employer of record (EOR) solution allowed them to quickly hire, onboard, and manage employees in Germany and Brazil without setting up local entities.
"New laws, new pay practices, new benefits programs — every country has different regulations to abide by," said Miranda MacKenzie, Director of Benefits, Compensation, and Systems at the Kraft Group & Affiliates. "A top priority for us was finding an EOR partner that would uphold our standards for employee treatment and truly collaborate with us, rather than simply handling administrative tasks. Luckily for us, G-P fit that bill."
The impact: fast onboarding, full compliance, and employees who feel part of the team
Thanks to their partnership with G-P, KSE quickly onboarded a local employee to manage the Patriots' operations in Germany — a hire that has been key to engaging new fans, navigating cultural nuances, expanding business networks, and building a loyal following.
"Having a local representative in Germany allows us to establish a genuine connection with our international fans," said Joe Dorant, Senior Director of Sales Operations at KSE. "Hiring global talent through G-P is as easy as it is impactful. We've been able to build the best team to engage with our fans and clients in new markets on an organic level."
G-P's global HR expertise ensures compliance with international legal and regulatory requirements — from crafting contracts to implementing pay and benefits programs.
"With their preexisting global presence and expertise in the diverse rules and regulations in new countries, partnering with G-P empowers us to expand our footprint," said MacKenzie. "Using G-P's platform makes it easy to onboard employees, securely manage their information, ensure accurate pay approvals, and address employee queries. It also includes a wealth of information related to laws and HR considerations for each country — it's an essential resource."
"While I'm officially employed through G-P, I'm fully immersed within the KSE culture and feel 100% like a member of the team," said Christopher Knower, Germany Operations Manager at KSE. "If I ever need assistance with an HR administrative task, G-P does an excellent job supporting me."
"It was important for us to find an EOR partner who would treat our employees how we expect them to be treated," added MacKenzie. "The most important thing about HR is making sure that we're caring for our most important resource as a company — our employees. With G-P, we feel like we were putting our staff in good hands."
KSE is exploring additional markets, like Switzerland and Austria. With G-P, they can continue hiring local talent to engage fans around the world.
"G-P streamlines our international hiring process, allowing us to focus on growing our global presence and fan base," said MacKenzie. "We're eager to continue our partnership with G-P to support our employees and our growth in new markets."
