Sporting Kansas City announced today that Jake Reid has signed a five-year contract extension as the club's President and CEO.
Reid has held his current position since April 2018, having previously served as Sporting Kansas City President since January 2016. He joined the organization in 2010 as the Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service before his promotion to Chief Revenue Officer in 2012.
"Jake has shown great leadership as Sporting Kansas City's President and CEO over the last six seasons," said Sporting KC principal owner Michael Illig. "We are delighted that he has committed to the club and look forward to further success in a rapidly changing sports landscape. As this exciting era continues to evolve, Sporting remains committed to revolutionizing the ways in which fans experience, follow and support the club."
Under Reid's leadership, Sporting Kansas City - winners of four major championships since 2012 - has experienced substantial growth over the last decade in ticket sales, corporate sponsorships and merchandise and concession revenue. He is currently involved in the club's chief endeavors, focusing primarily on fan development, innovative partnerships and delivering an unparalleled entertainment experience at Children's Mercy Park and other club properties.
Reid, 39, oversees Compass Minerals National Performance Center - the world-class training home of Sporting Kansas City - as well as Swope Soccer Village, Compass Minerals Sporting Fields, No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District, and Central Bank Sporting Complex, a new youth sports complex in the Northland slated to open in 2022. He also runs Sporting Club Special Events and City Foods and Events, two businesses that host hundreds of public and private events annually across multiple club venues.
"I am thrilled to be with the club for at least another five seasons," said Reid. "I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished during my time here, but I still believe our biggest opportunities remain ahead of us. I would like to thank the entire ownership team for their continued commitment to ensuring we are a high-performance club that continues to set the standard in fan experience. Cliff and Mike Illig particularly have been instrumental in my personal growth as well as that of our entire organization. We have something special here in Kansas City and I am proud to continue to grow our club. I look forward to another great season in 2022 and beyond."
Since Reid was appointed Chief Revenue Officer in 2012, Sporting Kansas City has sold out more than 150 MLS matches and has sold all season tickets, including premium inventory, for nine consecutive seasons. He was named the 2012 MLS Ticketing Executive of the Year and in 2013 led a staff that won MLS Ticket Sales Team of the Year.
Sporting was recognized as Major League Soccer's Corporate Sponsorship Team of the Year in 2014 and 2015, thanks in part to Reid's significant contributions. In 2015, he sealed a 10-year corporate partnership with Children's Mercy Kansas City for the naming rights to Children's Mercy Park as part of a youth health and pediatric sports medicine initiative. Three years later, Compass Minerals National Performance Center-a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Sporting, Children's Mercy and U.S. Soccer-opened in Kansas City, Kansas, serving as the new training home of Sporting KC as well as the site of Children's Mercy Sports Medicine Center at Village West and the U.S. Soccer National Coaching Education Center.
In April 2016, Reid was included in the Ingram's Magazine "Forty Under 40," a group of Kansas Citians recognized for their leadership, civic engagement and contributions to charitable causes. Three months later, the Kansas City Business Journal named Reid a NextGen Leader for his well-rounded business contributions to Sporting Kansas City.
Reid earned another prestigious accolade in July 2017 when he was named to the Class of 2017 for the third annual Leaders Under 40 Awards, the global search for the best talent in sports business under the age of 40. Leaders and Aspire Academy awarded 42 candidates from 585 nominations worldwide over a nine-month selection process. Reid was formally recognized in London during the Leaders Awards Dinner held at the iconic Natural History Museum, which celebrated all recipients for their achievements and for the impact they have made in their discipline, organization and sport.
In the spring of 2018, Reid was selected to the SportsBusiness Journal Forty Under 40 Class of 2018. He was one of 40 business professionals tabbed for excellence and innovation in the sports industry nationwide, all before the age of 40. The following year, Reid was announced as a Green Ribbon Champion today by Midwest Transplant Network, joining a diverse coalition of local leaders committed to increasing the number of registered organ donors in communities across Kansas and Missouri.
Over the last two MLS seasons, Reid has worked closely with local authorities and Sporting Manager Peter Vermes to develop detailed health and safety protocols amid the pandemic, helping pave the way for Major League Soccer's return to play and the return of full-capacity MLS matches.
For the last several years, Reid and Sporting have aimed to be an industry leader in the implementation of technology solutions at live events. Children's Mercy Park continues to be a living laboratory for next-generation applications, including mobile ticketing and ordering to tailor the fan experience.
Outside of the Sporting organization, Reid has served as a member of the KC2026 World Cup Bid Committee, which has dedicated itself to bringing the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Kansas City. He recently joined local stakeholders in hosting a FIFA delegation that consisted of inspections for essential infrastructure at Arrowhead Stadium, Compass Minerals National Performance Center and elsewhere across the metro.
In the community, Reid is a committee member for the Kansas City Sports Commission and The Victory Project, Sporting's charitable foundation dedicated to enhancing and enriching the lives of children battling cancer, providing special experiences and opportunities to children with disabilities and making the sport of soccer more accessible to children with limited financial resources.
