Canadian Premier League Names Mark Noonan Commissioner

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Premier League has hired Mark Noonan as Commissioner following a months-long international search.

Noonan will officially begin in his new role on Sept. 1, 2022. As previously announced in February 2022, the role will combine both CPL Commissioner and CEO, Canadian Soccer Business.

“On behalf of the CPL and CSB Board of Governors, we are thrilled to announce Mark Noonan as our new CPL Commissioner and CEO of CSB. Mark’s extensive experience in soccer from a global perspective, combined with his incredibly impressive success in sports marketing, align perfectly with our collective goals,” said Scott Mitchell, Chairman of CSB and CPL and Managing Partner/CEO of Hamilton Sports Group.

“We are extremely confident in Mark’s ability to have a tremendous impact on the continued development of the Canadian soccer ecosystem, while leading the CPL and CSB in becoming a true global soccer property.”

Noonan, 57, joins the CPL after more than two decades in the sports industry. A key member of Duke University’s first-ever NCAA Division I championship soccer team in 1986, Noonan turned his passion for sport into a career by becoming a leading sports marketer in the United States and beyond.

“I am grateful to the Board for the opportunity to lead the CPL and CSB as they transition into their next phase of growth from coast to coast,” said Noonan. “The CPL has carved out its place in the Canadian soccer landscape since its inception in 2019, putting down roots across the country that enable the development and progression of homegrown talent while inspiring the next generation to dream of playing professionally on home soil. But there is more work to be done, and I look forward to guiding the CPL into its next chapter of sustainability and maturation. I can’t wait to move to Toronto and get started. I’m all in.”

The native of Westport, Connecticut previously spent two years as Chief Marketing Officer with the United States Soccer Federation, developing the U.S. Soccer brand. He was a key figure in the successful marketing of the U.S. Women’s National Team that won the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup and created a groundswell of support for female athletes nationwide. Noonan then moved to Major League Soccer (MLS) where, as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Fan Development, he reported directly to the Commissioner of the League and CEO of Soccer United Marketing (SUM), leading…