Commanders name Campbell’s CEO team president

The Washington Commanders hired Mark Clouse as the new team president after he spent the last five-plus years as CEO of Campbell’s, the iconic consumer products company that recently reached a sponsorship agreement with the Commanders and other entities affiliated with majority owner Josh Harris.

Although Clouse doesn’t have a background in sports business, Harris seems confident that his experience in the corporate world will translate well to the NFL franchise.

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“He has a proven ability to strengthen both the organizations he leads and the communities he serves,” Harris said in a statement. “I am confident in Mark’s commitment to building a championship-caliber organization and supporting football operations in our pursuit of excellence on the field.”

After retiring from the Army 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 that company was acquired by Conagra in 2018. Clouse took the helm of Campbell’s in early 2019, presiding over a period in which the brand sought to expand its appeal through its flagship soup products to expand beyond.

At most professional sports franchises, the team president’s role has broad oversight of business operations, while the general manager is responsible for players, coaches, scouts and other sports personnel. In some cases, the role of president may be combined with the position of GM, or, in the case of the rival Dallas Cowboys, with one of the three roles worn by their owner Jerry Jones.

“The passionate Commanders fan base that has supported this team for decades deserves nothing less than our unwavering commitment to excellence,” Clouse said. “I look forward to supporting the owners, as well as Adam Peters and Dan Quinn, in doing everything we can to build a championship-caliber organization.”

Clouse takes over the role vacated by Jason Wright, who stepped down as president shortly after Josh Harris purchased the franchise in 2023. Wright, who was the first Black team president in NFL history and 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 the 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 initiatives as CEO of Campbell was to enter into a major sponsorship agreement with the teams under the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment umbrella.

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