Daniel J. Hilferty is Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Comcast Spectacor and serves as Governor of the Philadelphia Flyers for the National Hockey League. A dynamic and visionary leader, Hilferty oversees Comcast Spectacor’s diverse portfolio, including the Philadelphia Flyers, Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Philadelphia Wings, Flyers Training Center, and more.
Since taking the helm, Hilferty has driven transformative initiatives that position Comcast Spectacor for long-term success. He spearheaded major sponsorship deals, including Independence Blue Cross and Penn Medicine as the team’s respective home and away jersey patch sponsors, and signed Bank of America as the arena’s official banking partner. Under his leadership, the (then) Wells Fargo Center completed a $400 million renovation, culminating in Front Office Sports naming it as one of its “Best Venues 2024.” This milestone was followed by the arena entering into a new naming-rights agreement with Xfinity Mobile, marking a new era for the venue.
Hilferty began his tenure with Comcast Spectacor by rebuilding the Flyers’ front office, appointing Keith Jones as President of Hockey Operations and Danny Briere as General Manager. He also spearheaded the organization’s role in creating a new joint venture with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. The joint venture will be responsible for designing and building a state-of-the-art arena in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The new arena will be home to the Flyers and 76ers and the future Philadelphia WNBA team in which Comcast Spectacor is a minority owner.
Before joining Comcast Spectacor, Hilferty helped to lead Philadelphia’s successful bid to host FIFA World Cup 2026™ and continues to serve as Co-Chair of the Board for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the nonprofit governing body for the city’s Host Committee. Hilferty’s career includes more than a decade as President and CEO of Independence Blue Cross, where he guided the company to become one of the nation’s largest and most respected health insurers. After retiring from Independence, he founded Dune View Strategies, advising and investing in healthcare companies and startups.
A sought-after business authority, Hilferty serves as lead Independent Director of Essential Utilities and previously served as Chair of Healthpilot and on the Board of FS Investments Credit Income Fund. In addition, Hilferty’s commitment to community was highlighted through his role as Co-Chair of the executive leadership cabinet for the World Meeting of Families, which brought Pope Francis to Philadelphia in 2015.
Hilferty earned his undergraduate degree from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and a master’s degree in public administration from American University. He lives in the Philadelphia area with his wife, Joan. The couple has five children and five grandchildren.