NEW YORK (March 28, 2024) –

The National Women’s Soccer League today announced the hiring of Sarah Jones Simmer as Chief Operating Officer. Jones Simmer will lead and implement league business strategy and corporate operations including Finance, People and Culture, Club Business Performance, Strategy and Technology. She will report directly to NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. Nolan Partners, an industry leading sports and entertainment executive search firm, was retained by the NWSL to lead the search for this role.

NEW YORK (March 28, 2024) – The National Women’s Soccer League today announced the hiring of Sarah Jones Simmer as Chief Operating Officer. Jones Simmer will lead and implement league business strategy and corporate operations including Finance, People and Culture, Club Business Performance, Strategy and Technology. She will report directly to NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. Nolan Partners, an industry leading sports and entertainment executive search firm, was retained by the NWSL to lead the search for this role.

Jones Simmer, set to officially begin her tenure in April, joins the NWSL following decades as an executive, operator and investor. She was most recently the CEO of Found, one of the largest medically-assisted weight loss programs in the U.S. that leverages the best of modern medicine, personalized coaching, and community to help its members achieve lasting weight loss.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Sarah to the NWSL during a time of unprecedented momentum and opportunity,” said Commissioner Berman. “Sarah’s incredible track record as a leader and innovator, as well as her experience scaling companies like Bumble through significant evolution and growth is exactly the background we need to maximize our impact.”

Prior to joining Found, Jones Simmer was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at Bumble, where she played a critical role in Bumble’s acquisition by private equity leader Blackstone, and shepherded the company through its IPO in 2021. During her tenure at Bumble, she was responsible for core strategy, international growth, marketing initiatives, business operations, and employee growth. She also led investment strategy for the Bumble Fund, Bumble’s early stage investing vehicle focused on the next generation of female-led businesses.

“I'm thrilled to join the NWSL at such an important time in the company’s growth. The league is on such an exceptional trajectory, anchored by the strength of its leadership, athletes and partners,” said Jones Simmer. “I am looking forward to helping scale our corporate operations and strategy as we set our next chapter.”

Jones Simmer is a regular speaker on behalf of her companies, and on leadership topics more broadly. She has spoken at Dreamforce, SXSW, Techcrunch Disrupt, Traction, the Global Partnership for Education, and UN special sessions on topics ranging from venture investing to girls’ and women’s rights to the future of ethical business, and the challenges and opportunities of scaling rapid growth businesses.

Jones Simmer will be based out of the league’s New York headquarters. She earned a Masters in Public Policy from Northwestern University and an undergraduate degree from The University of Cincinnati.