Charlie Wright was the Vice President of New Business Development and Operations for Kroenke Sports and served as the focal point for the analysis and completion of the acquisition of the Rapids during the 2003 Season. He then served as Chief Operating Officer of the franchise for 2004 and 2005. He represented the Rapids on the Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing Board of Governors during that time period, including serving on the Finance Committee and the Competition Committee. After a reduction of Rapids staff in 2003, he successfully integrated employees into roles within Kroenke Sports Enterprises.

 

Wright was charged with the team’s transition after its acquisition by KSE. Thanks to Wright’s initiatives, the team signed current Head Coach Fernando Clavijo and first assistant coach John Murphy after the 2004 Season. That combination led the club to the Western Conference Championship match in their first two years with the team. Wright was instrumental in bringing international exhibition games to Denver, such as the club CD Guadalajara (MEX) vs. Boca Juniors (ARG) and the Cruz Azul (MEX) vs. CD Guadalajara (MEX) match. He took the reins as General Manager of the club after the 2004 season.

 

Continuing in his General Manager role, Wright manages the team and player operations for the Rapids. His responsibilities include Soccer Operations, Player Operations and the Rapids’ Scouting and Preseason departments. He is also placing renewed emphasis at KSE on his role as VP of New Business Development.

 

Aside from his soccer experience, Wright has a wealth of financial management and merger and acquisition experience, particularly with respect to sports franchises and arenas. He is currently the CFO of The Kroenke Group, a holding company that includes ownership of several Colorado sports franchises, cultural and entertainment activities, and several real estate holdings.

Wright has also served on the National Lacrosse League Board of Governors for the Colorado Mammoth as Chairman of the NLL Finance Committee and executive committee. Previously, he spent over 20 years as an outside professional financial advisor, including over 14 years as a partner with Ernst & Young.

 

Wright has worked with hundreds of clients in his career. Non-confidential client assignments in the sports and entertainment industry have included clients that purchased the Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver (currently Memphis) Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards and three of the facilities used by those teams. Wright is also a shareholder and officer of an indoor soccer franchise playing in the MISL.

 

He is a frequent speaker on mergers & acquisitions and sports industry subjects. He has written over 20 articles for professional publications on a wide range of topics. Wright holds several professional certifications (CPA, CMA, CIRA, CMC) and belongs to a number of professional organizations. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Duke University and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, where he received the Faculty Award for Distinguished Achievement. He has also served on the Board of Trustees of several charitable organizations, and is currently on the Boards of the Mile High United Way and the Colorado Rapids Community Care Foundation. Wright also performs locally as a percussionist with the Denver Pops Orchestra.

Rapids Spotlight