U.S. Soccer Hires Ad Tech Company Co-Founder JT Batson As CEO

CHICAGO (AP) — JT Batson, co-founder of the advertising technology company Hudson MX, was hired Monday as CEO and secretary general of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF).

The 40-year-old replaces Will Wilson, the uncle of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Wilson announced in June he was quitting on Oct. 31 after just 2.5 years. He took over from Dan Flynn, who held the job from June 2000 until September 2019.

“When I was playing youth soccer, I wasn’t the kid that was dreaming of playing in the World Cup, I was the kid dreaming about organizing one,” Batson said in a statement. “… With 2022 FIFA World Cup starting in a few months, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup coming next summer and the USA co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup in four years, we are heading into a special time in our history and I’m extremely excited to be a part of it.”

Batson will run the federation under president Cindy Parlow Cone, a former national team player, and the USSF board of directors.

“JT is uniquely qualified for this position as a person who has vast experience working with large, complex organizations as well as an understanding of the intricate workings of modern business,” Cone said in a statement. “He also has a passion for soccer born out playing and growing up in a generation that saw a massive growth of the sport in the United States.”

Batson played for the Augusta Arsenal club in Georgia, served as a referee and a referee assignor and is a former member of the USSF’s finance committee.

He previously worked for the venture capital firms Accel and Greylock Partners.

Wilson will remain with the USSF through October to assist with the transition, the federation said.