Premier League club Swansea City has hired Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment’s Chris Pearlman as its chief operating officer.
D.C. United managing general partner Jason Levien and Memphis Grizzlies co-Executive Chair Steve Kaplan purchased the club earlier this year.
Pearlman, previously executive vice president at Van Wagner where he oversaw the firm’s media and properties division, will begin with the club this week. He will report to Levien and Kaplan, as well as Chairman Huw Jenkins, who has been with the Welsh club since 2002 when it was in the fourth tier of English soccer.
Pearlman will oversee all business operations of the club, including marketing, ticket sales, merchandise and digital and social content.
“There are tremendous opportunities on the business side of the club, especially in expanding its reach outside of Wales to take advantage of the massive explosion and growth of the Premier League around the globe,” Pearlman said.
Four Welsh clubs play within the English professional soccer league system, and Swansea is in its sixth consecutive year of competing in the Premier League.
While at Van Wagner, Pearlman worked on the Team Challenge Cup, a biennial, Ryder Cup-style international competition run in conjunction with U.S. Figure Skating, as well as with Soccer United Marketing selling soccer assets and inventory, the Premier League and on the NFL’s LED advertising for its London games.
Pearlman said he met Levien while Van Wagner was assisting D.C. United on naming rights for its new stadium project.
