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Nashville SC promotes Ian Ayre to vice chairman, Lindsey Paola as chief business officer
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- Nashville SC promotes Ian Ayre to vice chairman, Lindsey Paola as chief business officer
Nashville SC has promoted chief operating officer Lindsey Paola to the position of chief business officer, the club announced Thursday. Current club president and CEO Ian Ayre is transitioning into a new role as the club's vice chairman.
Paola and Ayre assumed their new roles on Jan. 1. Both are reporting directly to majority owner and chairman John Ingram.
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"Ian's transition ensures that he will continue to play an integral role with the club while recognizing what Lindsey means to the club as well," Ingram said in a team release. "Lindsey is more than deserving and I know that our future is bright with her proven leadership and approach to culture at Nashville SC ."
Nashville SC announced new roles for Ian Ayre and Lindsey Paola, who will step into the positions of vice chairman and chief business officer respectively.
Ayre will serve as an advisor to Ingram, Paola and general manager Mike Jacobs. He will oversee the club's annual budgets, special projects such as investments and fundraising, and supervise soccer operations and player personnel.
"Since first meeting John in 2018, I could see that his vision and commitment to building a Major League Soccer Club was unwavering," Ayre said. "It has been my absolute pleasure to lead the building of the club over the last seven years, but more importantly assembling an outstanding team of people who make the club so special and deliver so much of the hard work.
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"I have absolute confidence in Lindsey and Mike Jacobs, who along with the rest of the senior management team can take up the mantle to continue this epic journey for Nashville SC."
MORE: Nashville SC signs Bryan Acosta, MLS veteran and Honduras national team midfielder
Paola will oversee day-to-day operations for Nashville SC and MLS Next Pro affiliate Huntsville City FC and lead the "strategic development and growth" of the club. She is one of eight female CBOs across Major League Soccer's 30 franchises.
Paola has been with NSC since its time as a USL Championship franchise. She spent two seasons as the club's senior director of administration and was promoted to chief of staff in 2019 prior to her appointment as COO.
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"I am excited and honored to step into the role of Chief Business Officer at Nashville SC, where I will continue to focus on nurturing our culture and championing our people while driving our shared goals and vision," Paola said. "The next few years are pivotal for our club and soccer in our region as we welcome the FIFA Club World Cup to GEODIS Park in 2025 and expand our offerings with more concerts and major events. Having the right pieces and infrastructure is crucial, and I am inspired by the dedication, talent and collaboration of our team.
"Most importantly, I am very grateful to John and Ian for their trust in me. Having worked closely with Ian for the past seven years, I look forward to expanding our partnership in this new structure, drawing on his extensive experience to develop our strategies and enhance our success."
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville SC promotes Ian Ayre, Lindsey Paola to new roles
