Jeff Berding promoted to FC Cincinnati co-CEO role

FC Cincinnati have promoted Jeff Berding from his role as president to co-CEO, alongside controlling owner Carl Lindner III.

Berding had served as president and general manager since the club's inauguration in 2015, initially as a USL team before entering MLS in 2019. He also helped oversee the opening of Cincinnati's state-of-the-art TQL Stadium.

“Now that we have opened our world-class stadium and begin our move to the next chapter of FC Cincinnati, I felt the time was right to award Jeff Berding a promotion. As co-CEOs, Jeff and I will be better able to handle the expanded areas of enterprise work resulting from the growth of the club,” Lindner III said in a club press release.

“I do not feel the title of team president for Jeff sufficiently addressed his leadership position, which the FC Cincinnati Holdings president/team co-CEO title more accurately provides and better defines his co-executive leadership of the enterprise with me.”

Berding's former role now needs filling and leading the search for a new president will be Mike Forde of Sportsology, who have previous experience working with Cincy and also helped build the front office for fellow MLS clubs LAFC and the Chicago Fire.

“The opportunity for a new president is being considered because the growth of the team’s enterprise work is substantial,” Berding said. “We have a great staff at FCC and I look forward to adding another key executive.”

Berding's promotion is the latest step in FC Cincinnati's reshuffle as the club seek to stop a run of three consecutive seasons at the bottom of the overall MLS standings. Previously, Chris Albright had been installed as general manager, while Pat Noonan left his role as assistant coach of the Philadelphia Union to take Cincy's vacant head coach post.

The Orange and Blue kick off their 2022 campaign away at Austin FC on February 26.