San Francisco, CA (September 26, 2011) – Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) announced today the appointment of Jennifer Pogorelec O'Sullivan as the League's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).  The former Vice President of Legal & Labor Affairs for the Arena Football League (AFL) picks up where her WPS predecessor left off, leading the business and organizational aspects of the front office, and working closely with the Board of Governors to continue to guide the strategic direction of the League.

"WPS is comprised of the best female soccer players in the world and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be affiliated with these extremely talented women," said O'Sullivan.  "I look forward to working with our Board of Governors and the WPS team to help build upon the League's successes of this past season and continue the growth of the League."

O'Sullivan joins WPS following its most successful season to date, setting new attendance figures and earning a 50 percent increase in revenue at the league level in 2011.  A key goal moving forward is to capitalize on the gains WPS made during its third season, and focus on continuing to build the fan and ticket base needed to sustain the League for years to come.

"After conducting a thorough search, the Board has complete confidence that Ms. O'Sullivan is the right person to be our CEO," said T. Fitz Johnson, Chairman of the WPS Board of Governors. "Her breadth of experience in professional sports and business development complements the efforts that we are making to ensure the future of the League.  We look forward to her leadership during this important next chapter of growth for WPS."
 
A graduate of the University of Richmond and The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, O'Sullivan will draw on broad business and legal experience gained during her career that includes time spent at the highest levels of professional sports including the AFL and National Football League (NFL). O'Sullivan's familiarity with all aspects of the sports industry, including strategic leadership, collective bargaining and labor relations, media and business partnerships, sponsorship, and marketing are essential to her ability to provide WPS with the needed stability and leadership to move the league closer to its long-term goals.

"We are all very excited that Ms. O'Sullivan is joining WPS as the CEO," said Sky Blue FC Owner Thomas Hofstetter. "Her leadership experience and a deep understanding for sports business will be essential in positioning the league for both immediate and long term success as we continue to build the business with an eye on geographic expansion and sponsorship revenue - two fields we know she can help us excel in."

O'Sullivan serves as a member of the National Board of Directors for Women in Sports and Events (WISE) and is a member of the Sports Lawyers Association, the Association of the City Bar of New York, and the New York State Bar Association. 

In her role as CEO, O'Sullivan is the highest ranking female official in Women's Professional Soccer.

Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the world's best soccer league for women, featuring stars from the U.S. National team and around the globe.  WPS completed its third full season of competition in August as Western New York Flash (Rochester, NY) earned the 2011 WPS Championship, following FC Gold Pride (2010) and Sky Blue FC (2009) into the record books as the League's top teams. The 2011 field of teams included Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC (New Jersey), magicJack (Florida) and Western New York Flash. For more information, visit the WPS official website at www.womensprosoccer.com or follow along via our social media networks at www.twitter.com/womensprosoccer and www.facebook.com/womensprosoccer.