Nick Brown / Rooted Creative
Cody Parsons
Chief of Staff, FC Cincinnati
Age: 27
Born: Austin, Texas
Education: University of Dayton, B.S.
Described by colleagues as the ultimate team player, Cody Parsons joined FC Cincinnati in 2015, one year before the team debuted in the United Soccer League. Now in MLS, Parsons leads development of the team’s $250 million West End Stadium, Mercy Health Training Center and a surrounding mixed-use development.
more About you
Most important lesson learned in 2020: No one knows anything definitively, but there is a rush to the microphone to speculate.
Ways to network or stay connected with peers this year: Email/Zoom to reconnect with “weak ties.”
Go-to person when I need help: David Carlock (Machete Group). He tells me how to not be an idiot. He is objective, reasoned, and thorough in this thinking and provides a helpful outside perspective.
My inspiration: My parents. They are the grittiest and most honorable people I know. I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but the way they raised me has provided a perspective and a mindset that has enabled me to become the person I am today.
In the industry
Biggest surprise when I started my career: How broad the sports industry really is. It is so far beyond just teams and leagues and it continues to expand each year.
Most exciting aspect of sports business: The ability to build something bigger than yourself. … A common purpose is a powerful force.
How my generation is changing sports: I think millennials (for better and for worse) are less inclined to accept “this is how we have always done things.” I think this attitude, in addition to an increasing talent level with more sophisticated, quantitative backgrounds, are helping improve and further professionalize the industry.
Sports can address social issues by: Sports is a great unifier in a divisive time and should set an example. The common purpose of sports can unify those in the stands while also being a diverse workplace.
In 10 years I hope to be … : Leading a team that is building something bigger than ourselves, with people that are positive, high achievers and that make me and everyone else better.
