Atlanta United’s president and CEO Garth Lagerwey is taking an indefinite leave of absence after his recent diagnosis of cancer.
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He has begun treatment, and there is no timetable for his return to the office, the team said.
In a statement, Lagerway said:
“I have made the difficult decision to step back from Atlanta United to tackle my cancer treatment head-on. I would like to express my profound gratitude to Arthur Blank for not only his support, but by doing everything in his power to make this process as painless as possible for me and my family. I could not possibly work for a better organization than AMBSE.
“Atlanta United has a high-performing leadership team in place on the business and soccer sides of the club. Chris, Skate and Dimitrios are experienced and talented leaders, and I have full confidence in their abilities to lead our club in my absence. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing our fans again soon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I shall return.”
The nature of his cancer wasn’t disclosed in the news release. But Lagerwey’s prognosis of a complete recovery is encouraging, the team said.
“On behalf of myself, Atlanta United, and the entire Blank Family of Businesses, we stand fully behind Garth and his family as they navigate this difficult challenge,” said Arthur M. Blank, owner and chairman of Atlanta United. “Garth’s resilience and optimism are part of what makes him such an exceptional leader, and I know he’ll carry those strengths in the days ahead. I have complete confidence in our leadership team and players as we navigate this transition together. We all look forward to welcoming Garth back in the future and will be praying for him and his family’s continued strength, and a smooth recovery.”
Lagerway was named president and CEO of the club on Nov. 22, 2022. He came from the Seattle Sounders, where he led the team to the 2022 Concacaf Champions League title earlier this year, as well as MLS Cup championships in 2019 and 2016. He previously served as general manager and senior vice president of soccer operations for MLS’s Real Salt Lake.
During his leave of absence, Chief Soccer Officer Chris Henderson, Chief Business Officer Skate Noftsinger and Senior Vice President of Strategy Dimitrios Efstathiou will continue to lead the operations of their respective departments and report regularly to Lagerwey and Rich McKay, Chief Executive Officer of AMB Sports and Entertainment, the team said.
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