Weeks after officially launching, Bay FC is moving quickly to build up the NWSL club’s leadership announcing former Levi’s executive Brady Stewart as the team’s first CEO.
Stewart spent 14 years rising up the corporate ladder at Levi Stauss. She was responsible for growing the clothing company’s direct-to-customer business. Most recently, she was the Chief Commercial Officer at FORMA Brands and a Board Member for Evolvus.
With Bay FC, Stewart will be in charge of forging a connection between fans and the club while bringing a data-driven focus honed at Levi’s to create a successful team on and off the pitch.
“Brady is a world-class leader with a proven instinct for innovating and accelerating growth in changing markets, and she’s going to drive our founding vision of building Bay FC into a franchise that represents more than just a soccer team,” explained Bay FC co-chair and co-founder Alan Waxman.
“Women’s sports are a revolution happening in real time,” noted Stewart in the company’s press release. “Bay FC will be a rallying point for our fans in the Bay Area, for women’s sports, for the next generation of leaders, and for anyone who wants to be part of creating an inclusive organization that unites our fans across the Bay Area and beyond.”
Bay FC is the brainchild of four former U.S. women’s team players with Bay Area roots: Leslie Osborne, Brandi Chastain, Aly Wagner, and Danielle Slaton. The club was awarded a franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League for a 50 million dollar expansion fee, with equity firm Sixth Street Partners providing the financial backing. The club recently had a successful brand release at the Presidio in San Francisco, attracting thousands of fans.
Although the club has not yet announced where they will play, they are widely expected to join the NWSL in 2024 playing in San Jose at PayPal Park.
