CHICAGO (August 18, 2022) –

The National Women’s Soccer League today announced the hiring of three senior executive roles, including Julie Haddon as the league’s Chief Marketing Officer, Tatjana Haenni as Chief Sporting Director, and Bill Ordower as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer.

CHICAGO (August 18, 2022) – The National Women’s Soccer League today announced the hiring of three senior executive roles, including Julie Haddon as the league’s Chief Marketing Officer, Tatjana Haenni as Chief Sporting Director, and Bill Ordower as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer.

“I am excited to welcome Julie, Tatjana and Bill to the NWSL family," said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. "Throughout the hiring process we were intentional about finding individuals who not only have the experience and qualifications necessary to succeed in these roles, but also a genuine enthusiasm for the future of the league. I am confident Julie, Tatjana and Bill will add tremendous value to the league’s front office operations, and I am excited to have them on board as we continue taking the NWSL to new heights.” As Chief Marketing Officer, Haddon will oversee the planning, development and execution of the league’s advertising, media, fan/player marketing, promotions, social media, influencer, research and brand efforts across all platforms. In addition, Haddon will drive development and implementation of emergent growth strategies across the league, lead licensing and eCommerce, and establish a marketing innovation pipeline to increase audiences and maximize league revenue opportunities. “I couldn’t be prouder and more honored to lead Marketing for the NWSL,” said Haddon. “Working with a leader like Jessica, the players, clubs and the league staff to help grow and scale the NWSL into a global sports powerhouse is the opportunity of a lifetime. Soccer has always been the greatest game in the world, and I am thrilled to work with this remarkable organization, at this remarkable moment in time.” As Chief Sporting Director, Haenni will collaborate with players, league officials and stakeholders to implement sporting strategies that distinguish and sustain the NWSL as the world’s premier women's professional soccer league. Additionally, Haenni will lead the development of procedures, policies and programs to identify, attract, retain and grow the world's best players, coaches and referees. Haenni will also work closely with a myriad of national and international entities, including FIFA, CONCACAF and U.S. Soccer, to support and advance the NWSL’s goals and initiatives. “I have spent the majority of my professional career developing strategies to expand and elevate the women’s game on a global scale and I’m excited to now have the opportunity to apply those strategies to the NWSL,” said Haenni. “I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to create policies and programs that ensure the league continues to be both a destination for top talent and an organization at the forefront of advancing the sport.” Ordower will oversee the NWSL’s player affairs and operations including the negotiation and administration of all player rosters and contracts, disciplinary process, and game and medical operations. He is also responsible for all legal matters, including expansion, team acquisition and investment, governance, compliance, intellectual property, commercial transactions, investigations and litigation. “I’m excited to join the league at such a pivotal time,” said Ordower. “As women’s soccer continues to gain traction in the global sports landscape, it is imperative that we remain strategic, focused and innovative to maintain our position as the best women’s professional soccer league in the world. I look forward to working with our clubs, players and partners to develop and enhance the league in meaningful ways.” Both Haddon and Ordower will join the league immediately, while Haenni will transition into her role over the coming months.

Background on each of Haddon, Haenni and Ordower can be found below.

Julie Haddon

Haddon joins the NWSL after spending five years at the NFL, where she most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Global Brand and Consumer Marketing overseeing some of the most successful, award-winning marketing programs of all time. At the NFL, she spearheaded innovative brand campaigns surrounding the organization’s tentpole events from the Super Bowl to the NFL Draft, to the league’s social justice brand initiatives and legalized sports betting fan engagement. In addition, Haddon led strategies to grow audience viewership and consumption for Thursday Night Football, NFL Network programming, and NFL Digital products, including NFL Fantasy, GamePass and Mobile. She also founded and served as the executive sponsor of NFL Pride, the league’s first-ever LGBTQ+ group, committed to advancing efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion. Prior to her work with the NFL, Haddon held a variety of senior Marketing leadership positions, including at DreamWorks Animation where the studio received its first-ever Academy Award for an animated feature film for the studio’s hit feature SHREK. She also led global social media at eBay, where she built the company’s first-ever Social Media Business Unit, and later oversaw social media at Zynga through their historic IPO in 2011. As consultant, Haddon was part of the early team at Twitter in 2008, and in 2012 reprised her role at SoFi, taking them to market and leading SoFi’s Marketing team as the company transitioned from startup to a billion-dollar organization. As an investor, Haddon joined the Chicago Red Stars ownership group in 2021 and divested from the club prior to assuming her role at the league office. She is currently on the Board of Directors of FuboTV, a sports streaming service, and TOCA Football, the largest tech-enabled soccer training facilities and entertainment venues worldwide. Haddon attended Indiana University where was a member of the Big 10 champion Hoosiers Softball program. She resides in California with her wife and three children.

Tatjana Haenni

Prior to her appointment at the NWSL, Haenni served as the Director of Women’s Football at the Swiss Football Association (SFA) where she was responsible for all women’s soccer affairs, including development of talent and player pathways, organization and administration of SFA elite leagues across all age groups, and management of the competitive, commercial and financial growth of women’s soccer in Switzerland. Prior to her position at SFA, Haenni spent more than 18 years at FIFA, where she most recently served as deputy director and head of women’s competition, overseeing all aspects of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and devising strategies surrounding competition formats, tournament and match policies and regulations, development programs and legacy initiatives. Haenni began her sports business career at UEFA where she was responsible for all competitions and development projects on the women’s football side, including the organization of the Women’s European Championship. A former member of the Swiss National Women’s Football Team and a UEFA ‘A’ coaching license holder, Haenni served as both coach and president of FC Zurich Frauen, previously known as SV Seebach. She has also served as a football expert and coach educator for the Swiss federation. Haenni received her MBA in sports management at the University of Bayreuth in Germany.

Bill Ordower

Ordower joins the NWSL from the law firm ArentFox Schiff LLP, where he was a partner. Prior to his time at the firm, Ordower spent 23 years at Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing in various capacities including operations, player personnel, legal and business. He most recently served as MLS’s Executive Vice President of Business Ventures spearheading the league’s sports betting strategy and prior to that served as the league’s General Counsel. Throughout his tenure with MLS, Ordower was instrumental to the organization’s growth including its commercial and media strategy and expansion surge to 30 teams. He also functioned as a key member of the collective bargaining team, created and implemented the MLS Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program and conducted league investigations regarding tampering and player-related issues. A St. Louis, Missouri native, Ordower graduated from Boston University with a degree in English and earned his law degree from The George Washington University Law School.?He resides in New Jersey with his wife, three children and three dogs.