Commissioner, Major League Soccer
CEO, Soccer United Marketing
Don Garber was named Commissioner of Major League Soccer in 1999. Over the past 26 years, he has led MLS through a period of unprecedented growth and transformation. Under his leadership, the league has expanded from 10 to 30 clubs, added dozens of new owners, established 26 soccer-specific stadiums, secured a groundbreaking global partnership with Apple TV, and seen average club valuations rise to more than $700 million.
Through his efforts, MLS has developed into one of the top soccer leagues in the world, featuring global stars like David Beckham and Lionel Messi, and helping to establish the United States and Canada as true soccer nations.
Early in his tenure, he created MLS WORKS, a league-wide community outreach initiative dedicated to addressing important philanthropic and social issues.
Prior to joining MLS, Garber spent 16 years in a variety of marketing, programming, and event management positions at the National Football League. In 1996, he launched NFL International, a division that is responsible for all aspects of the NFL’s business outside the United States, with offices in Canada, England, Mexico, Japan, and Germany.
Garber serves on several professional and philanthropic boards, including the Board of Directors of the United States Soccer Federation, the FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee, and the World Leagues Association, where he is the co-founder and Vice Chairman. He also sits on the boards of the Paley Center for Media and the Billion Oyster Project, a New York City-based nonprofit.
He has received numerous industry awards, including Sports Business Journal’s Executive of the Year, the United States Soccer Foundation Leadership Award, and the United States Soccer Federation Werner Fricker Award -- the highest honor awarded by the U.S. Soccer Federation. Garber has been recognized as one of the top 50 executives in the sports industry for the past 20 years.
He is a member of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, the National Soccer Hall of Fame and is in the Athletic Hall of Fame at his alma mater, SUNY Oneonta. He holds Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from both Montclair State University and the State University of New York.
Garber resides in New York City with his wife, Betsy (and their Labrador Retriever, Boo Radley), close to their two children and two granddaughters.
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