The Washington Commanders have hired Mark Clouse as their new team president after spending more than five years as CEO of Campbell’s, the popular consumer products company that recently forged a sponsorship with the Commanders and other organizations affiliated with majority owner Josh Harris.
Although Clouse doesn’t have a background in sports business, it appears Harris is confident his experience in the corporate world will translate well to the NFL franchise.
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“He has demonstrated the ability to strengthen both the organizations he leads and the communities he serves,” Harris said in a statement. “I am confident in Mark’s dedication to building a championship-caliber organization and supporting football operations in our pursuit of excellence on the field.”
After retiring from the military in 1996, Clouse built a three-decade career in the food industry, spending 20 years in various roles at Kraft Foods (now Mondelez International) and a few years as CEO of Pinnacle Foods before the acquisition of this company. by Conagra in 2018. Clouse took the reins at Campbell’s in early 2019, overseeing a period in which the brand sought to broaden its appeal beyond its flagship soup products.
For most professional sports franchises, the team president largely oversees business operations, while the general manager looks after the players, coaches, scouts and other sports personnel. In some cases, the role of president may be combined with the position of general manager or, in the case of the rival Dallas Cowboys, with one of the three hats worn by its owner Jerry Jones.
“The Commanders’ passionate fan base, which has supported this team for decades, deserves nothing less than our unwavering commitment to excellence,” Clouse said. “I look forward to supporting the owners, along with Adam Peters and Dan Quinn, in doing everything we can to build a championship-caliber organization.”
Clouse fills the role vacated by Jason Wright, who resigned as president shortly after Josh Harris purchased the franchise in 2023. Wright, who was the first Black team president in franchise history NFL player as well as the fourth former player to become team president, took the helm in 2020. He led the franchise’s rebranding from the Washington Football Team to Commanders in 2022. Wright was already planning to leave the ‘team at the end of the 2024 NFL season.
In an interesting twist between his old and new employers, one of Clouse’s final moves as Campbell’s CEO was striking a massive sponsorship deal with teams under the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment umbrella.
