ORLANDO, Fla. (Nov. 30, 2021) — Orlando City SC and the Orlando Pride have announced the hiring of Jarrod Dillon as the Club’s President of Business Operations, a newly-created position that will be responsible for the overall strategic business operations of each of the Club’s properties including Orlando City SC of Major League Soccer, the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League, the Orlando City Academy, the Orlando City Youth Soccer Network, Exploria Stadium and all future endeavors.
Dillon was hired after a national, comprehensive and inclusive search process led by the industry-leading executive search firm, TurnkeyZRG.
Reporting directly to ownership, Dillon will create and oversee a unified front office strategy for both Orlando City and Orlando Pride, working alongside both Soccer Operations teams to bring a best-in-class experience to fans and to the Orlando community.
"We are excited to welcome Jarrod and his family to Orlando and to the Orlando City and Orlando Pride organization,” Club Chairman Mark Wilf said. “Jarrod brings a great breadth of sports business experience and he will be a strong leader for all of us. He embraces the importance of immersing himself in our community, creating a world class fan experience, and creating positive relationships within our organization, as well as with our supporters, fans, civic leaders and business partners.”
"My family and I are extremely grateful to Mark Wilf and the Wilf family for offering us the opportunity to join this great organization. We are excited about the Orlando community and about getting involved in such a special, diverse and thriving region,” Dillon added. “The Wilf family has a tremendous reputation, and their passion and commitment to professional soccer and to Orlando were driving forces in our decision to join them. I look forward to working with our great team of staff, supporters, fans, partners and community leaders to continue to build a world class franchise and create great experiences of which we can all be proud."
Dillon joins Orlando City SC and the Orlando Pride after six years with Vinik Sports Group (VSG). Over his tenure with VSG, Dillon started as the franchise’s EVP of Sales and Marketing before being promoted to Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer. In this role, Dillon was responsible for leading the revenue strategies for all VSG properties including the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, AMALIE Arena, Yuengling Center, Identity Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Sports and third-party media rights for University of South Florida Athletics.
During his tenure, the Lightning were named ESPN’s 2016 Franchise of the Year and were two-time finalists for Sports Business Journal’s Team of the Year (2016, 2021), amassing more than 240 consecutive sellouts.
Prior to his most recent experience in the NHL, Dillon also worked with Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, as well as with the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League, in roles encompassing ticket and suite sales, customer service, analytics and corporate partnerships.
Dillon will officially begin his position with the Club on January 3, 2022.
