National Women’s Soccer League Adds Two New Leaders to Its Expanding Executive Bench

NEW YORK – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) today announced a pair of key executive hires, appointing Pauline Philippi as Chief Financial Officer and Mma Afoaku as Chief of Staff, as the league continues to expand its leadership team. Philippi will report to Chief Operating Officer Sarah Jones Simmer while Afoaku will report to Commissioner Jessica Berman.

As Chief Financial Officer, Philippi will oversee all financial aspects of the NWSL, including financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting. She will work closely with league executives to develop and execute strategies to support the league’s financial objectives and long-term goals.

Philippi joins the NWSL after spending 16 years at Nike, most recently as Vice President of Global Business Planning, where she led financial planning processes across Nike’s $51B+ billion portfolio, drove revenue optimization initiatives, and identified opportunities to enhance profitability and operational efficiencies. Philippi also held several senior positions in finance, marketplace analytics and strategic planning, both globally and across Nike’s North American marketplace. Her resume also includes financial roles at PayPal, Ebay and Intel. Philippi received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a concentration in Economics from Stanford University.

As Chief of Staff, Afoaku will serve as a key liaison between Commissioner Berman and the NWSL’s executive leadership team, providing project management, strategic insights and operational oversight to support the organization’s mission and goals.

Afoaku joins the NWSL after serving as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where she advised a range of businesses from high-growth startups to Fortune 100 companies and led key research around women’s sports and emerging technologies. Afoaku previously practiced as an attorney at leading media, entertainment and sports law firm Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, advising brands, agencies and individuals across sports, music, social media, gaming, and other sectors. Afoaku earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Wellness from Arizona State University before completing her law degree at Northwestern University.