National Women’s Soccer League Elevates Executive Bench with New Senior Hires

NEW YORK – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) today announced several new senior level hires, appointing Michelle Haines as Vice President, Marketing; Jennifer Levine as Vice President, Public Relations and Communications; and Derek Throneburg as Vice President, Club Business. Throneburg will report to Chief Operating Officer Sarah Jones Simmer. Haines and Levine will report to Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, Julie Haddon.

“The NWSL has already set records for fan attendance and viewership through our new broadcast partnerships,” said Commissioner Jessica Berman. “To continue fueling this momentum, it was critical for us to hire leaders with deep, diverse experience to fuel the next phase of our growth and build on our fandom.”

Haines will oversee NWSL marketing initiatives inclusive of events, sponsor activation and partner marketing as well as social, community and brand creative. She joins the NWSL from the league’s Seattle Reign FC, where she oversaw marketing, ticketing and community engagement department for the club. She played a critical role in developing integrated strategies and campaigns that increased awareness and engagement and generated record-breaking revenue. Most recently, Haines orchestrated the Reign’s rebrand prior to the 2024 season as well as Megan Rapinoe’s historic retirement campaign which set the NWSL’s all-time attendance record with 34,130 fans in attendance. Prior to the Reign, she spent over a dozen years as a marketing and sales executive in live entertainment, including a role as Chief Marketing Officer of Seattle Rep, one of the nation’s largest regional theaters. Earlier in her career, Haines created and executed Broadway campaigns working at SpotCo, including campaigns for the longest running American musical, Chicago, the return of Pippin, and Grace, a play starring Paul Rudd and Michael Shannon. Prior to that, Haines led marketing for national tours at DreamWorks Theatricals overseeing Shrek the Musical and Madagascar Live, as well as with Broadway Across America.

Levine will lead the PR function for the league; her remit will include driving fan growth and brand awareness as well as increasing the NWSL’s relevance among consumer press and opinion leaders. She joins the league with years of experience developing communications strategies and launching cultural moments and campaigns for major global companies, most recently at Amazon…