Levi’s executive tapped as CEO of NWSL’s San Francisco Bay Area team

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Levi Strauss & Co. executive Brady Stewart has been named chief executive officer of Bay FC, the National Women’s Soccer League team set to launch in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2024.

Stewart will work with the owners of the new team, which include investment firm Sixth Street and a group of former U.S. women’s national team players: Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner.

“Brady is a world-class leader with a proven instinct for innovating and accelerating growth in changing markets, and she’s going to drive our founding vision of building Bay FC into a franchise that represents more than just a soccer team,” Alan Waxman, cofounder and CEO of Sixth Street, said in a statement Wednesday. “She has a deep love and appreciation for both the game and the Bay Area, and she knows how to galvanize passionate people towards a common goal.”

The league’s 14th expansion team was announced in April. It will be the third California team in the NWSL, joining the San Diego Wave and Angel City in Los Angeles.

Stewart has spent the last 14 years at Levi’s, most recently leading the company’s direct-to-consumer business in the United States.

“Bay FC will be a rallying point for our fans in the Bay Area, for women’s sports, for the next generation of leaders and for anyone who wants to be part of creating an inclusive organization that unites our fans across the Bay Area and beyond,” she said. “We will establish a legacy that unites and energizes our fans and celebrates our athletes for what they are: the best soccer players in the world.”

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