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Indy Appoints Stremlaw As Chief Executive Officer

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 01/14/19, 9:04AM EST

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Former Head of CBC Sports brings outstanding global experience to Eleven’s front office

INDIANAPOLIS – Indy Eleven announced on Monday it had hired top North American sports executive Greg Stremlaw as the club’s Chief Executive Officer. As CEO, Stremlaw will oversee day-to-day operations of the professional soccer club as well as work to deliver a best-in-class experience for fans, bringing success on the field while continuing the trend of record attendance. 

“We are proud to welcome Greg Stremlaw to Indianapolis,” said Ersal Ozdemir, owner of Indy Eleven. “His experience and reputation as one of the top sports executives in North America will be an excellent addition to Indy Eleven as we usher in a new era for our club in the United Soccer League and beyond.”

Stremlaw will start in the upcoming weeks and has already begun meeting with Indy Eleven officials in preparation for the team’s first match on Saturday, March 9. The home opener is scheduled for Saturday, March 30 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“Indy Eleven is one of the premier franchises in the United Soccer League and Indianapolis is one of the world’s top sports destinations,” said Stremlaw. “The team already has a solid foundation of success thanks to strong support from fans and the greater Indianapolis community. I am excited to bring my experience and ideas to bear as we continue building Indy Eleven into one of the best franchises in sports.”

Indy Eleven has the goal of leading the United Soccer League in attendance in 2019. 

Prior to joining Indy Eleven, Stremlaw served as Head of CBC Sports, a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In that role, Stremlaw oversaw a multi-million dollar annual budget while building an exceptional track record in innovative vision, strategic planning, commercial operations and selling out high-profile events. As the General Manager of the Olympics, he also oversaw the organization’s Olympic and Paralympic coverage, led operations for Hockey Night in Canada, a top NHL brand, and maintained long-term working relationship with Major League Soccer, FIFA, and multiple national governing soccer bodies. Prior to joining CBC Sports, he served as CEO of Curling Canada. 

Stremlaw cited the proposed Eleven Park development as one of the key reasons he accepted the CEO role for Indy Eleven. Announced on January 10, the development is proposed to include office space, apartments, retail, a boutique hotel and public areas – all anchored by a 20,000-seat multi-purpose soccer stadium, of which Indy Eleven will be the primary tenant.


Renderings of the Eleven Park development that would be anchored by a 20,000-seat multi-purpose soccer stadium, of which Indy Eleven will be the primary tenant.

“Eleven Park is a transformational element for Indy Eleven and will grant a permanent home for the world’s game in Indiana,” said Stremlaw. “It will be a gamechanger from a competitive and fan experience perspective because it will allow us to play on natural grass and set our own schedule with more fan-friendly weekend games.”

“The proposed Eleven Park development and the hiring of a top sports executive like Greg Stremlaw sends a strong signal that Indianapolis is dedicated to the growth of professional soccer, and will assist in our efforts to go to the next level,” added Ozdemir.

Stremlaw’s appointment came after a global search led by Nolan Partners, an international executive search firm with a proven track record of discovering senior executives in sports.

Industry leaders praised Indy Eleven’s hire of Stremlaw for his high-level leadership experience and strong track record of success.

“Greg Stremlaw brings a highly successful record of accomplishment and a stellar professional reputation to Indy Eleven,” said Dale Neuburger, long-time former president of the Indiana Sports Corporation and current vice president of the International Swimming Federation. “In my previous association with Greg during his roles with Curling Canada and CBC, he was ‘cutting edge’ in new technologies and fan-experience amenities. Indianapolis is fortunate to attract such a world class senior sport executive who can add to the sports legacy of our city and bring dynamic leadership to Indy Eleven. I predict great times ahead for Indy Eleven, and Greg is the ideal choice to lead those efforts.”

Raised in Boston, Greg Stremlaw holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Maine, a Master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Miami and executive education from Harvard University and MIT. His wife, Wendy, is a former national trap shooting champion and national stream figure skater. Together, they have two children; daughter Kristin is a scholarship athlete at Ohio State University and son Michael is an elite junior baseball player who has competed as a member of Team Canada.

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