Catie Griggs is Mariners New President of Business Operations
Griggs spent last four years with Atlanta United FC
SEATTLE, Wash. — Mariners Chairman and Managing Partner John Stanton announced today that Catie Griggs has been selected as the Seattle Mariners new President of Business Operations.Griggs, who spent the last four years helping build Atlanta United into one of the premier Major League Soccer franchises, will begin her new role on a fulltime basis the week of August 23.
“We had a really impressive group of finalists for this role,” Stanton said. “Out of that very strong group, Catie set herself apart with her passion, her experience, and the perspective she will bring to the Mariners.”
“We are pleased to welcome Catie to her new role and are looking forward to having her and her family join our community and team.”
Griggs spent the past four years as the Chief Business Officer of Atlanta United. Under her leadership, since debuting in 2017, Atlanta United led the MLS in average attendance in every season, including averaging 48,200 in 2017, 53,002 in 2018 and 52,510 in 2019. Despite Covid restrictions, they led MLS in total and average attendance in 2020 and are leading in 2021, as well.
“The Mariners are a team on the rise, and as that success builds on the field, we have an opportunity to forge even stronger bonds with the community,” Griggs said. “I will bring a championship mentality to everything the franchise does by focusing on the fans and giving back in meaningful ways. My values align very well with the Mariners mission, and I am honored to have the opportunity to join this organization at this extraordinary time.”
Griggs oversaw all aspects of the Atlanta United front office, including the strategic decisions leading to the record-setting attendance, matchday production and operations in and around Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the team’s supporter groups and broadcasting. She also directed the team’s community relations efforts, overseeing $2.5M in donations and more than 22,000 volunteer hours in support of community events in 2019, and proactively pursued efforts to increase the diversity within the club front office and its efforts in the community and in growing fan base.
Griggs partnered with Atlanta United’s Technical Director to ensure alignment and mutual support between the business and soccer operations at the club. She was also a member of the Executive Leadership Team for Atlanta United and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur M. Blank’s full family of businesses.
In 2019, Atlanta United was named Sports Team of the Year, while its home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium received Sports Facility of the Year at the Sports Business Awards; MLS Marketing Team of the Year, PR Team of the Year and Social Team of the Year; and Atlanta Sports Council’s Team of the Year.
Prior to joining Atlanta United, Griggs was with Futures Sport & Entertainment, a cross-platform global media and sponsorships analytics consultancy that is part of the Interpublic Group of Agencies. She launched the firm’s Americas operations in 2015 and led it to significant growth prior to her departure. She came to Futures Sport & Entertainment after five years at Turner Broadcasting where she served in various roles, including strategy, business operations, strategic partnerships and business development, and media rights negotiations.
In 2017, she was named a Sports Business Journal Game Changer, an annual award that honors women leaders across all aspects of sports business.
A North Carolina native, Griggs received her B.A. (in Government) from Dartmouth College and her MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Catie and her husband, Justin, have two children.
Griggs selection was the result of a month’s long process that was led by Jeff Raikes, a member of the Mariners partnership group, and included a 12-person search committee made up of a diverse group of community members and Mariners front office staff.
“Under Jeff’s leadership, the committee did a terrific job of defining the key personal and professional attributes we wanted our new President of Business Operations to possess. With their diverse perspectives, the committee created an inclusive process that resulted in a pool of talented potential candidates,” Stanton said.
