Client: Chicago Red Stars
Source: On Tap Sports Network
The Chicago Red Stars have finally started to add individuals to their executive offices after the club’s ownership change in the summer, announcing Wednesday that Karen Leetzow will be the club’s new president.
Leetzow, who begins her new role on Dec. 4, comes to the Red Stars from the U.S. Soccer Federation, where she has been the chief legal officer since 2020. Leetzow spent 20 years in a variety of roles in NASCAR’s legal department which culminated with her serving as senior vice president and general counsel before making the move to U.S. Soccer in 2020.
“Karen is a committed advocate for women in sports and her work with the U.S. Soccer Federation leadership team to create a new culture is beyond compare,” said Laura Ricketts, Chicago Red Stars principal owner, in a statement released by PR firm Colloton + Bauer Luce. “In her distinguished career she has gone beyond barriers and blazed a path for women to have a seat at the table of the C-suite of major sports enterprises and she has assured our athletes are protected and have a level playing field.”
Most notably, Leetzow was a crucial part of the group at U.S. Soccer which negotiated the collective bargaining agreement in 2022 that ensured equal pay was given to the men’s and women’s national teams.
Leetzow has her work cut out for her with the Red Stars as they look to rebuild trust within the Chicago soccer community after years of negligence from the club’s previous owner.