In an era of new beginnings and challenges, Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment is looking toward a "unicorn" to guide the way.
Mauricio Culebro, hired in late March as AMBSE's President of Soccer, brings a very particular set of experience to the table, one that earned that very label from Vice President of Executive Strategy Josh Blank.
"It's a very unique role for us, and in some ways, [we were] looking for a little bit of a unicorn of an individual," Blank said. "With Mauricio, I think we've found that."
The new role will oversee both Atlanta United and NWSL Atlanta, which is rapidly approaching its 2028 inaugural season already. And for that reason, Blank Family of Businesses Owner and Chairman Arthur Blank, Josh Blank and AMBSE CEO Rich McKay, among other decision makers, went to Culebro.
The Mexican's record as president of Club América and Tigres UANL in LIGA MX was one of sustained success. Blank hailed Culebro's "operational excellence" in his past stops, particularly his most recent position at Tigres. Heading both the men's and women's sides, the club went on to win LIGA MX, Campeón de Campeones and Campeones Cup titles and four LIGA MX Femenil titles and three Campeón de Campeones Femenil titles. They were a fixture in the top five of both leagues, all while doubling commercial revenue.
As AMBSE embarks on launching NWSL Atlanta, leaders felt it best to create the position to encourage collaboration between the women's club and Atlanta United.
“Having someone oversee both teams allows for collaboration, sharing of best practices, but also ensuring that each team has their own unique identity, both on and off the field," Blank said. "... Our goal is to have both the men’s and women’s team work together in moments, but work separately in moments. Having someone who is overseeing that and engaging with both separate leadership teams around that is incredibly important."
McKay said around 40 candidates were interviewed from 20 different leagues. Markets from all over the world were searched, ranging across England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Mexico and the United States in what was a near-four-month search. Culebro was the result of that thorough process.
"We felt like this is a very critical hire to us, from where we are Atlanta United wise [and] certainly where we are [with NWSL Atlanta] getting ready to launch a new franchise," McKay said.
Culebro delved into his humble beginnings, starting as a coordinator with team logistics at Club América and working his way up the ranks. He harped on the importance of human capital and drew on his experience in Mexico both at the club and federation level with the Mexican Football Federation.
Atlanta was an attractive destination for a sharp candidate in Culebro for a variety of reasons — the ownership and fandom chief among them. What better example of ATL's underlying support than how the city has received the FIFA 2026 World Cup in recent weeks.
"I was really impressed," Culebro said. "The passion, the appetite from the people ... Being here and experiencing it first-hand has been incredible for me."
Culebro sees potential, not only in the clubs he'll be running but the leagues they play in. MLS and NWSL are growing, and he wants to be a part of it.
"From when I first heard about the opportunity, I was convinced," Culebro said. "I wanted to be here. I’m positive that both leagues have the potential to become the best leagues in the soccer world."
Joining Atlanta United amid challenges in picking up results, Culebro was asked about his list of priorities to turn things around. He expressed his propensity for both short and long-term thinking in transfer windows and gave a vote of confidence to head coach Tata Martino and his staff. Culebro's mindset is one of patience, but he understands that on field results are critical to the club's overall mission.
“We need to be the emissaries of the message for the whole U.S., so they can see that Atlanta is the epicenter of U.S. soccer," Culebro said. “... [The fans] will need to be proud of the product that they see on the pitch."
