Sporting Kansas City has named Chief Revenue Officer Jake Reid its new president, making him the youngest executive to hold such a position in MLS.
In his new role, Reid, 33, will oversee the club’s business operations on a day-to-day basis, picking up those responsibilities from Robb Heineman, co-owner and CEO of Sporting KC’s parent organization, Sporting Club. Heineman is shifting his focus toward the organization’s sports technology company, FanThreeSixty (SportsBusiness Journal, Jan. 18-24 issue).
 |
Jake Reid, at 33, becomes the youngest president of an MLS club.
Photo by: SPORTING KANSAS CITY
|
Reid will report to Heineman and the rest of the team’s ownership group.
The promotion was approved at the team’s most recent owners’ meeting. Reid will formally begin his new role this week.
Reid joined Sporting KC in May 2010 as vice president of sales after sales stints with second-tier English soccer club Derby County and at the NBA team level in Charlotte and New Orleans. He was named chief revenue officer in June 2012.
He said the club will take the next 12 to 18 months to evaluate whether it needs to fill the CRO role or, instead, delegate the responsibilities throughout the organization.
Sporting KC co-owner Cliff Illig noted both Heineman and Reid in discussing the franchise’s transition.
“Robb has really been the driving force behind a relatively long list of important initiatives that has gotten the club to where it is today,” Illig said. “He’s also played a big part in creating the strong team culture we have here, where we’re able to take capable, high-potential team leaders like Jake and increase their responsibilities. Jake has surfaced as being a key part of that as well.”
Reid echoed that sense of culture, noting that Heineman had told him it was his goal “to get you to this position.”
For the club going forward, Reid said there will be a continued focus on building the team’s local popularity and increasing its TV ratings. It also currently is working on the construction of a U.S. Soccer national training complex in Kansas City, a more than $75 million Populous-designed development set to break ground this spring, as well as an entertainment and restaurant development in Kansas City’s Power & Light District.
