Major League Soccer is promoting Charles Altchek, considered by many to be a potential future commissioner, to oversee the group that aids clubs in their business efforts.
Altchek will be the new executive vice president for club performance and league growth, filling a role vacated earlier this year by Chris McGowan. In that capacity, he will work with owners and chief business officers across the league on best practices, strategic decisions and performance analysis. He will also evaluate new markets for potential future expansion.
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Altchek, 40, joined the MLS league office in 2014 after stops with the New York Red Bulls, the New York Mets and Goldman Sachs. Among his first jobs when he joined the commissioner’s office 11 years ago was helping find new ownership for a franchise in Los Angeles, which eventually led to LAFC, now the league’s most valuable club. A former Harvard soccer player, he has risen quickly within MLS, helping craft the expansion strategy that led to nearly a third of the league’s 30 franchises.
More recently, MLS commissioner Don Garber tasked Altchek with overseeing the league’s entire development pathway. As president of MLS Next Pro, Altchek led the launch of the league in 2022 and its subsequent expansion. He’s also overseen the MLS Next youth development program and broader recreational efforts.
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Across the league, Altchek has been viewed as a potential future commissioner, perhaps as someone who could succeed Garber, the second longest-tenured commissioner in the major U.S. leagues. Garber, 67, took the role in 1999 and recently signed a four-year contract through the 2027 season.
Altchek’s new role will layer experience on the team and ownership side with his existing experience on the player side.
“Charles has played an integral role in the growth of Major League Soccer over the past decade,” Garber said in a statement. “His leadership in launching and expanding MLS Next Pro, his work with clubs across our ecosystem and his experience at the team level make him uniquely qualified to lead our efforts in club performance.”
McGowan, who left MLS to launch a consulting firm, is still advising the league in various capacities. Altchek’s job running MLS Next Pro will be filled by Ali Curtis, a former MLS player who has previously served as the league’s SVP of sporting development.
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