While Atlanta United continues to set a new standard in Major League Soccer on the pitch, the club’s ambition off the pitch has been equally as successful and innovative. As Vice President of Business Operations, Ann Rodriguez has been pulling the strings in the front office since she joined the club in May 2015 and has piloted the expansion club to benchmarks on the business side that has left the rest of the league striving towards Atlanta’s model.
Not many people get to help create an organization from scratch, but having already accomplished that feat twice made Rodriguez the perfect fit for Atlanta United. Her first opportunity came in 2001 as Senior Manager of Sponsorship Sales for the Washington Freedom of the Women’s United Soccer Association, and she later served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for San Jose Earthquakes from 2006-08. Rodriguez was instrumental in bringing the team back to the Bay Area after the club was put on hiatus.
Her impressive résumé also includes titles such as Senior Vice President of NextGen Venture Partners and Global Category Director for soccer and lacrosse at Under Armour, where she led the company’s entry into the Barclay’s Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, and secured Colo-Colo of Chile as the brand’s first soccer team in South America.
Despite her previous roles, Atlanta United has provided Rodriguez something she’s never encountered.
“It’s hard to articulate how terrific this whole experience has been,” she said. “I think what has made this different from anywhere else I’ve ever been is the passion and enthusiasm of the fans. Our fans are awesome, and the community has really embraced us.”
Being on the team side is nothing new to Rodriguez, but having a first-class owner like Arthur Blank has made the experience that much more enjoyable not only for her as well as the entire organization.
“He has such a big vision for what this could be,” Rodriguez said. “I think I’ve learned a lot from watching Arthur and watching our organization’s level of commitment to the community. Whether it’s bringing the academy program to life prior to the first team so kids can grow up with the aspiration of being a part of our team or launching our foundation before we launched a kit. The commitment to the community has been a wonderful thing to be a part of and hopefully many generations of soccer players here in Georgia will benefit for years to come.”
While overseeing the day-to-day business operations of the franchise, including sales, marketing, digital and social media, broadcast, merchandise and fan experience, Rodriguez and her team have made significant strides since joining Atlanta United. The club has set a record for season ticket sales for an expansion club with more than 30,000 and has secured a top-tier jersey sponsorship with American Family Insurance. Sale for Atlanta United merchandise ranks among the league’s best-selling and the club’s social media platforms lead the league in engagement.
“We have to sustain this success and continue to build and grow and engage the fan base,” Rodriguez said of the club’s future. “The opportunity for me was to build a team sports brand that was consumer-focused, brand-led and always on 365 days, 24/7. Our commitment to broadcast ensures that all of our games are aired, we lead the league in social engagement and are leading the league in attendance. That’s a lot to keep up with while we continue to grow and deepen our connection here in our community, and broaden our reach globally. That’s going to take a long time and a lot of hard work, but we’re putting the right building blocks in place to achieve that.”
