Lynch onboarded as Rhode Island FC ‘linch’pin

Article posted by Coliseum, March 8^th, 2023

Image: Rhode Island FC

Rhode Island FC, the new USL Championship team based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, US, introduced Vicky Lynch as the team’s Chief Revenue Officer. Lynch has nearly three decades of experience in soccer.

‘Rhode Island FC’ stated that Lynch served as the Director of Competition for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ and Volunteer Coordinator at the 1994 FIFA World Cup™. Lynch joins Rhode Island FC after holding a top position with the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League.

The Rhode Island FC is an upcoming American professional soccer club located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, US. The club is planned to debut in the USL Championship in 2024.

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The 10,000-capacity Tidewater Landing Stadium in Pawtucket will serve as the Rhode Island FC’s home ground.

The USL Championship is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation as a Division II league since 2017, placing it under Major League Soccer in the hierarchy. The USL is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, US.

The Major League Soccer is a men’s professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport’s highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams – 26 in the United States and 3 in Canada – since the 2023 season. The league is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York, US.

Said Brett Luy, President, Rhode Island FC, “Vicky Lynch is one of the country’s most respected and most experienced soccer executives. She knows the business inside-out and will be integral in our work to build Rhode Island FC into one of the top clubs in the United States. Under Vicky’s direction, we will build meaningful partnerships with sponsors and community organizations that translate into a world-class fan experience. I am personally thrilled to have a partner like Vicky who has a proven track record of repeated success in every market she’s worked.”

Stated Vicky Lynch, Chief Revenue Officer, Rhode Island FC, “Brett Johnson and Michael Parkhurst are building one of the most dynamic professional soccer clubs in America and I am elated to be joining the team. I have spent my entire adult life working to grow soccer in the United States. In that time, I have seen very few American markets as excited about soccer as Rhode Island. I cannot wait to tap into that excitement and start the important work of helping to bring a championship-caliber club and a world-class fan experience to the Ocean State. And, from a personal standpoint, I am looking forward to making Rhode Island my home.”

As the Director of Competition for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup™, Lynch oversaw every aspect of competition at all eight venues across the United States. The 1999 competition is remembered for the exciting penalty kicks finish in the final between the United States and China and is often touted as the event which pushed the global excitement for women’s soccer to a tipping point.

‘Rhode Island FC’ further stated that Lynch has worked with several professional soccer clubs in her career. She was the first person hired by the San Diego Spirit of the Women’s United Soccer Association, where she served as the Director of Operations and Fan Development. She most recently served as the Chief Business Officer for the Chicago Red Stars where she led the effort to increase sponsorship revenue for the club by 175 percent in just one year.

Added Brett Johnson and Michael Parkhurst, Co-Founders of Rhode Island FC, “When we set out to bring professional soccer to Rhode Island, we made a commitment to the fans that we would bring the best team possible to the State. The Rhode Island FC is going to compete for trophies from Day One, and that starts by building the most talented front office imaginable. Vicky Lynch is a centerpiece of that front office. Vicky’s experience representing sponsors and clubs, along with her experience as a senior leader for two World Cups, will provide Rhode Island’s club with a strong and secure foundation that will be invested into a winning tradition.”

Lynch earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, US. She has an MBA with a concentration in Soccer Industries from the University of Liverpool in Liverpool, UK.

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