St. Louis Cardinals executive appointments pledge to excellence

Article posted by Coliseum, July 16^th, 2026

Image: Busch Stadium, Lightmetro, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Major League Baseball (MLB) team St. Louis Cardinals (US) recently announced new executive appointments as part of a long-planned leadership succession strategy reflecting the organization’s vision and commitment to excellence.

‘mlb.com’ stated that Bill DeWitt III has been named the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) expanding his leadership responsibilities to oversee both baseball and business operations.

The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis (US). The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a Member club of the National League (NL) Central Division.

The Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as the ‘New Busch Stadium’ or ‘Busch Stadium III’) is a baseball stadium located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It is the home of the Major League Baseball (MLB) team St. Louis Cardinals. It has a seating capacity of 44,383.

‘mlb.com’ further stated that Anuk Karunaratne has been elevated to President of Business Operations assuming leadership of all business matters and off-field initiatives for the organization and reporting to DeWitt III.

Bill DeWitt Jr. continues as the Chairman and the Principal Owner and will continue his involvement in significant team baseball and business matters.

The above announcement follows the September 2025 appointment of Chaim Bloom as the President of Baseball Operations.

‘Commitment to Cardinals’

Opined Bill DeWitt, Jr., Chairman, St. Louis Cardinals, “This organizational evolution reflects our family’s enduring commitment to the Cardinals, our fans and our community. It also represents a natural progression of leadership responsibilities to steward the next generation of Cardinals baseball, both on and off the field. Bill’s leadership over the past 18 years as the President – including his vision for the Busch Stadium and the Ballpark Village while leading our business efforts overall – has prepared him well to become our next CEO. Over time, Bill has assumed increasing responsibilities across our organization, including baseball, and this appointment and transition to CEO duly recognizes this. Anuk has made significant contributions to our organization since arriving here prior to the 2024 season. He also has a fantastic feel for our culture and what the Cardinals mean to the St. Louis community which will serve him well as our new President of Business Operations.”

The Ballpark Village is a massive, mixed-use retail, entertainment, residential, and office district located directly across the street from the Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis, Missouri (US). Developed in partnership by the St. Louis Cardinals and The Cordish Companies it serves as the ultimate gathering spot for the fans 365 days a year.

The Cordish Companies’ origins date back to 1910 and encompass five generations of privately-held family ownership. During the past 10 decades, The Cordish Companies has grown into a global leader in Gaming, Commercial Real Estate, Entertainment Districts, Sports-Anchored Developments, Hotels, Residential Properties, Restaurants, Coworking Spaces, and Private Equity.

DeWitt III, 58, has served as the President of the St. Louis Cardinals since 2008. During his tenure he has overseen the successful opening of the Busch Stadium (2006), the development and launch of the Ballpark Village Phase I (2014) and Phase II (2020), and the overall business success of the organization. He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a B.A. from the Yale University.

‘Great Vision’

Said DeWitt III, “I’m honored by this expanded opportunity to lead the Cardinals organization. Anuk’s elevation to President of Business Operations reflects the strength of his leadership and his deep commitment to working collaboratively with our staff, the business partners and the fans. Together with Chaim Bloom’s baseball operations leadership we have a young but experienced team with a great vision for the future.”

Karunaratne, 43, joined the Cardinals in 2024 as the Senior Vice- President (SVP) of Business Operations bringing more than 10 years of experience in professional sports business management. Most recently, Karunaratne served as the Executive Vice-President (EVP) of Business Operations with the MLB team Toronto Blue Jays (2020-2024) where he led the organization’s Sales, Marketing, Fan Experience, and Business Administration operations.

Non-baseball Facets

A Washington University graduate who has deep roots in St. Louis Karunaratne will focus on all non-baseball facets of the club with an emphasis on fan value and engagement, attendance and community involvement.

‘Great Responsibility’

Commented Karunaratne, “I came here 25 years ago as a college student at the Washington University and am now blessed to have the opportunity of a lifetime with one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports while living in an amazing St. Louis community that my family now calls home. I am grateful to the DeWitt Family for this privilege and recognize the great responsibility that comes with it.”

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