CAA | Hanold Executive Search Recruits Executive Director for Soccer Forward Foundation
March 19, 2025 – CAA | Hanold Executive Search has assisted U.S. Soccer Federation with the recruitment of Alexandra (Lex) Chalat as executive director of Soccer Forward Foundation, U.S. Soccer’s 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup legacy initiative. CAA | Hanold Associates’ Jason Hanold, Megan McElroy, and Catie Nelson led the search for this critical role. “U.S. Soccer exists in service to soccer and Soccer Forward is a key component in how we fulfill this promise,” said JT Batson, U.S. Soccer CEO. “We needed a unique and talented leader to guide Soccer Forward in what will be the most exciting era in the history of soccer in the U.S. Lex brings her vast experience and servant leadership to the position and will make a tangible difference in the growth of our sport.”
An experienced leader, Ms. Chalat has developed purpose-driven partnerships and supported local communities in more than 20 countries. She joins U.S. Soccer with more than 15 years of experience in business development and fundraising, cause communications and delivering activations and legacy strategies for major sporting events, federations, leagues and teams.
Previously, Ms. Chalat was at the Qatar Foundation (QF), where she served as director of legacy and community engagement. In the lead up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, she was part of a team responsible for coordinating the organization’s more than 50 entities across education, research, and community development to ensure that it holistically maximized the world’s biggest sports tournament and enabled long-lasting impact. With the tournament completed, Ms. Chalat transitioned to the office of QF CEO and vice chairperson as executive director of partnerships and strategic alignment.
Prior to working in Qatar, Ms. Chalat was managing director of the Beyond Sport Foundation, which convenes, funds and supports organizations using sport as a tool for social change and co-founded thinkBeyond. She has curated programs and partnerships around sport’s role in hard-hitting issues like the refugee crisis, youth gun crime and racial and ethnic divides.
“I am an avid believer in the power of sport and its ability to change lives for the better and Soccer Forward will allow us to launch key initiatives to do just that,” said Ms. Chalat. “This foundation and its purpose have stemmed directly from engaging with our members across the soccer ecosystem and I’m delighted to continue our work. Together, we’ll see the impact for future generations to come.”
Soccer Forward is dedicated to improving lives and strengthening communities through the most accessible sport in America. Soccer Forward will support U.S. Soccer’s vision to serve the sport and advance the belief that soccer is more than a game—it’s a force for good.
Previous Search
CAA | Hanold Executive Search also recently recruited Matthew Garey as vice president of HR for the U.S. Soccer Federation in Chicago. “I could not be more excited to share that I have accepted a position as vice president, human resources with the U.S. Soccer Federation,” Mr. Garey said in a LinkedIn post. “There is so much going on with the sport in our country and I can’t imagine a better time to be joining this dynamic organization.”
Hanold Associates serves CEOs of startups, founder-led organizations, family offices, pre-IPO companies, PE firms and Fortune 100 organizations. The firm has completed more than 2,000 searches for its clients across industries, which include American Airlines, Apollo, a16z, A+E Networks, Acushnet, BlackRock, Blackstone, Cartier, College Football Hall of Fame, CBS, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Domino’s Pizza, eBay, Electronic Arts, Fanatics, Federal Reserve Bank of NY, Ford Motors, Ford Foundation, Gucci, Hearst, Indeed, KKR, L Catterton, Live Nation, MGM Resorts, Moderna, Nederlander, The New York Times, Nordstrom, Paramount, Patagonia, Phillips 66, Prada, Kering, Robert F Kennedy Human Rights, Riddell, Save The Children, Shore Capital, TB12, Uber, Under Armour, Vail Resorts, Walgreens, and Zoom. Founded in 2010, Hanold Associates is headquartered in Chicago, with partners located in Boston, New York, Salt Lake City, Detroit, and Phoenix.
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Mr. Hanold, CEO and managing partner, founded the search firm in 2010. Previously, he served as a managing director with Russell Reynolds Associates, where he led the firm’s global human resources officer practice and was a member of the board of directors and CEO practices. Before that he held talent and recruiting positions with Whirlpool, McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, and State Farm.
Ms. McElroy is an associate with Hanold Associates and focuses on recruiting human resources and diversity, equity, and inclusion leaders across multiple industries and functions. Previously, she was director of recruitment and selection for Northwestern Mutual. There, she grew from developing and expanding the organization’s campus program to recruiting full-time professionals in the financial services industry.
Ms. Nelson is an associate with Hanold Associates where she focuses on recruiting chief people officers, talent, HR and diversity, equity and inclusion leaders and their respective teams across industries. Prior to joining Hanold Associates, she worked as an investment banking analyst in the cross markets group at Goldman Sachs in Chicago where she focused on M&A advisory work.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
