JoAnn Neale

JoAnn Neale is the President and Chief Administrative and Strategy Officer for Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing, where she leads strategy, data, and business intelligence, overseeing the League’s long-term business planning and annual planning processes. Neale is accountable for all aspects of data integrity, analytics, and research, a role that also includes overseeing Technology, including business solutions, information security, and owned platforms.

Her role as the head of Human Resources involves managing employee relations, talent acquisition and development, benefits, compensation, human resources information systems, and culture, with a robust commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity. Neale also manages Administration, which is responsible for office design, space planning, vendor management, compliance, and day-to-day office services and operations.

As the architect of MLS WORKS, the League’s social responsibility platform, Neale spearheads the League’s overall social responsibility strategy. Under her leadership, MLS WORKS has established a commitment to social responsibility through national programs, charitable giving, and by initiating grassroots initiatives in underserved communities.

In addition to her role at MLS, Neale sits on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Soccer Foundation. Her influence and effective leadership in the sports industry have earned her considerable accolades. She was named a Sports Business Journal Game Changer, one of Adweek’s 30 Most Powerful Women in Sports, included in Crain’s Notable Women in the Business of Sports, and NY’s 100 Most Responsible Corporate Citizens lists. Additionally, the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women recognized her for her leadership in providing opportunities through sport to underserved girls.

Prior to joining MLS, Neale spent four years as an attorney at the law firms of Latham & Watkins and Duval & Stachenfeld, where she focused on corporate finance and real estate transactions. Neale earned her law degree from New York University’s School of Law, graduating cum laude, and received a Bachelor of Science degree, with distinction, from Cornell University.