JT Batson named U.S. Soccer CEO

U.S. Soccer has a new chief executive officer. Yesterday, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced the hiring of JT Batson as the federation’s new CEO and secretary general.

The 40-year-old Batson, who is the co-founder and former CEO of Hudson MX, a 425-person NYC- and Atlanta-based software company, will succeed Will Wilson, who announced his intention to step down as U.S. Soccer CEO earlier this year. Wilson will remain at the federation through the end of October as part of the transition.

Before Hudson MX, Batson was an Entrepreneur in Residence at Greylock Partners and Accel Partners. He previously served on the U.S. Soccer Finance Committee, where he helped create the U.S. Soccer Development Fund.

“It’s an honor and a big responsibility to take on this position with U.S. Soccer, and I’m really looking forward to working with Cindy, our Board, our senior leadership, our players, coaches and referees, and all of our employees, partners and membership across the American soccer landscape,” said Batson in a statement. “I’m a big believer in the power of teamwork and collaboration, and during this historic time for soccer in the USA, that will be vitally important as we continue drive the Federation forward to even greater heights.”

In a press conference yesterday, Batson said that among his first priorities is to reach out to fans from all walks of life to hear what they believe is important initiatives for the federation:

Part of that will be to oversee the sporting department, where it will be a busy couple of months on the job. The USWNT will have two domestic friendlies against Germany in November, followed almost immediately by the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where the USMNT will compete beginning on November 21st.

“JT is uniquely qualified for this position as a person who has vast experience working with large, complex organizations as well as an understanding of the intricate workings of modern business,” U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement. “He also has a passion for soccer born out playing and growing up in a generation that saw a massive growth of the sport in the United States. His energy, leadership, creative thinking and personal connection to seeing U.S. Soccer and the sport thrive will be a huge positive for the future of our Federation overall.”

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