The New York Red Bulls are making a change at the top. Longtime NBA executive Chris Heck has been named the club's new president of business operations, the team announced in a press release on Friday.
Heck will replace longtime managing director Erik Stover (above), who will resign effective after the MLS All-Star Game at Red Bull Arena on July 27, according to a club spokesman.
According to the club, Heck will take the lead role in overseeing the business aspects of the club and Red Bull Arena.
“On behalf of our entire organization, I would like to welcome Chris to the club as our new President of Business Operations,” RBNY sporting director Erik Solér said in the release. “He brings almost 20 years of experience in the sports industry that will be instrumental as we continue the successful development of our business off the field.”
Heck’s focus will be on marketing and sponsorship opportunities. Through his work with USA Basketball, he has experience both stateside and overseas.
“I’m extremely excited to join the New York Red Bulls, which I consider the premier franchise in Major League Soccer,” said Heck. “The global sport of soccer continues to thrive and grow in this country at a tremendous rate and I’m happy to be able to play a role in its development through my contributions to New York’s soccer team.”
Stover, who was 2010’s MLS Executive of the Year, had been managing director of the club for nearly three years and was instrumental in the construction of Red Bull Arena. He originally joined the Red Bull organization in January of 2008 as the general manager of the Arena project before adding managing director to his title several months later.
