Replaces Nelson Rodriguez who left the club in January.
CHICAGO, IL–Chicago Fire FC have hired Ishwala Glassman Cherin as their new club president on Thursday. She becomes the first woman to hold that position in the club and replaces Nelson Rodriguez who left in January. She will begin her position on June 1st, overseeing the business operations of the Fire, and will report directly to owner Joe Mansueto along with sporting director Georg Heitz.
“I am so thrilled to be joining the Fire at such an important inflection point in the Club’s history,” said Glassman Chrein. “I’m fortunate to join a team where the owner loves Chicago, cares deeply about the players and staff, and is fully invested in building a successful team on and off the pitch. I’m looking forward to getting started and meeting everyone involved with the Club, especially the fans.”
It is that fanbase in the country’s third-largest market that Glassman Cherin will have to help reinvigorate after now over a decade of underachieving on the pitch and an at-times fractious relationship between club and fans off it.
“In Ishwara, we have found a dynamic, experienced sports executive to head up our business operations,” said Mansueto. “She is a passionate and enthusiastic leader that has a proven track record of building businesses and increasing revenue. We believe that she can significantly grow our fanbase and be a strong ambassador for the Club throughout Chicagoland. We are excited to welcome Ishwara and her family to the Fire family.”
Her previous work includes being the Head of Sports Partnerships and Business Development at Yahoo Sports / Verizon Media, where she led relationships and negotiations with the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, BetMGM, and NBC, as well as other sports leagues, broadcasters, streamers, data companies, and technology companies. While at Yahoo Sports / Verizon Media, she also oversaw gaming strategy, evaluated sports rights acquisition deals across the globe, and worked with sports technology start-ups.
According to the Chicago Tribune’s Jeremy Mikula, the club employed the services of consulting firm Sportsology in their search for Glassman Cherin much like they did for Heitz.
