CINCINNATI – FC Cincinnati has hired Dennis Carroll as the club’s first Chief Operating Officer. He starts in his position today after a 10-season stint with MLS club Philadelphia Union, most recently as Senior Vice President of Finance. Carroll will report to FCC President & General Manager Jeff Berding, and will oversee key internal operating departments, including finance, construction, administration, information technology and operations.
Turnkey Search, a highly specialized talent recruitment/executive search firm filling C-level, senior-level and mid-management level positions in sports, entertainment and media, led FCC’s search for the club’s first-ever COO.
“We’re thrilled to bring on an executive with the experience and vision that Dennis has,” Berding said. “In his time in Philadelphia, Dennis has been involved in almost all aspects of the club’s internal operations and we’re excited to welcome someone with his background to our club. We look forward to having Dennis use his extensive experience in MLS to help enhance our business operations consistent with our vision to be an innovative franchise.”
"I'm very excited to join FC Cincinnati as the club enters MLS,” Carroll said. “In just the first few years, FCC has shown it has the potential to be a top-flight club in North America. I'm joining an already fantastic staff and look forward to the challenges and opportunities that are ahead of us.”
Carroll joined the Union in August 2009, ahead of its expansion debut in MLS in 2010. He began his career there as the club’s Controller, before earning a promotion to Vice President of Finance in December 2012 and later Senior Vice President of Finance in July 2016.
During his time with the Union, Carroll was involved in all accounting, finance, treasury and construction projects. Additionally, he directed the club’s human resources activities, including overseeing payroll, health benefits, and 401k plan. He led the club’s annual budgeting process and was also involved in on-going debt and equity management. Carroll also oversaw construction finance, which involved the completion of the Union's new training complex and front office.
Carroll began his professional career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as an associate where he planned and executed audit engagements in a variety of industries.
Following his time at PwC, Carroll joined the Philadelphia Eagles’ finance staff as Financial Analyst, gaining planning and budgeting experience with all departments of the NFL franchise’s operations. He oversaw the financial planning for non-football events at Lincoln Financial Field, managed merchandising’s financial operations and was part of the team’s advance travel staff.
Carroll graduated from St. Joseph’s University in 2004 with a degree in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant.
The next time Cincinnati takes the field, it will be as MLS’ 24th team in 2019 when the club debuts in the top professional league in the U.S. and Canada.
FC Cincinnati’s debut MLS game will be at Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, March 2, at CenturyLink Field. The Orange and Blue will make its home debut as an MLS team at Nippert Stadium on Sunday, March 17, when the team hosts MLS Cup finalist Portland Timers at 5 p.m. Tickets to that game are currently exclusively available only through 2019 Season Tickets Memberships, which start at $199 and are now on sale at fccincinnati.com/tickets.
For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati. For more information about FC Cincinnati tickets - including 2019 season tickets - call 513-977-KICK (5425) or visit fccincinnati.com/tickets.
