LAFC
Stacy Johns had never lived outside Indiana when she was approached by a recruiter in 2020 about the open chief financial officer position at LAFC.
“I initially thought there’s no way I’m leaving,” Johns recalled. “I have three kids and two dogs. I’m not moving to Los Angeles in the middle of a pandemic.”
Before too long, however, Johns decided a change of scenery was exactly what her career needed. After more than 15 years with the Indianapolis Colts, the Butler alum was a step away from ascending to the top financial post at the team. She sensed, however, that if she stayed, she would never gain the range of experience needed to one day run business operations for a pro sports franchise.
“In my mind, I had pigeonholed myself [in finance],” Johns said. “I had this doomsday feeling that this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life.”
At LAFC, Johns has advanced far beyond balancing the books. Three months into her new role, co-President Larry Freedman put her in charge of the club’s relationship with its new tenant, Angel City FC, which has consistently packed the 22,000-seat stadium during its first two seasons. In 2022, she spearheaded the effort to find a new stadium naming-rights partner, resulting in an MLS-best 10-year, $100 million deal with BMO.
At the end of last year, Freedman offered Johns an expanded role as COO and formally added revenue generation to her purview. It has served to validate her belief that she can do far more than accounting.
“Finance people get a bad rap for not being able to drive deals and not being closers — for being deal killers,” Johns said. “I’m the first person to say, ‘How can we make it work?’ and be creative — not killing it, but changing it and adapting it to what makes sense.” — Alex Silverman
Stacy Johns
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Los Angeles Football Club
Born: Indianapolis
Education: Butler University, B.S., accounting, CPA
Family: Children, Vivian (17), Camille (15) and Charlie (10)
More about Stacy
Advice to my younger self: Take more risks and know your worth. Had I realized sooner that I belonged “in the room,” my career would have taken off much sooner.
If I did not work in sports, I would be in … : Either private equity or other M&A work.
I wish more people understood … : That I never stop working because I love it. … I truly love what I do and when I need a break, I take it.
Person in sports business I’d most like to meet: Janet Marie Smith. She was not only “in the room” when that was exceptionally rare for a woman in this industry, she was driving the conversation and influencing as dramatic, successful and lasting of a change as one can imagine with Camden Yards.
