The Seattle Mariners have hired Atlanta United executive Catie Griggs as their new president of business operations, bringing to an end a five-month search to replace disgraced CEO Kevin Mather following his abrupt resignation in February.
Griggs spent the past four years as chief business officer of the Atlanta United, overseeing front-office operations and leading the franchise’s launch as a Major League Soccer expansion team in 2017.
She will begin her new role in Seattle on Aug. 23.
“The Mariners are a team on the rise, and as that success builds on the field, we have an opportunity to forge even stronger bonds with the community,” Griggs said in a statement. “I will bring a championship mentality to everything the franchise does by focusing on the fans and giving back in meaningful ways. My values align very well with the Mariners mission, and I am honored to have the opportunity to join this organization at this extraordinary time.”
Griggs will be responsible for all aspects of the Mariners business operations. The team’s executive vice presidents and senior vice presidents will report to Griggs and form the senior leadership team.
General manager Jerry Dipoto and baseball operations will be managed under a separate umbrella.
A 12-person committee, led by Jeff Raikes, a member of the Mariners partnership group, directed the search to hire the new team president. Mather, with the team since 1996, resigned in February after his derogatory and insensitive comments surfaced from a Zoom call with the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club.
“We had a really impressive group of finalists for this role,” Mariners chairman John Stanton said in a news release. “Out of that very strong group, Catie set herself apart with her passion, her experience, and the perspective she will bring to the Mariners.”
Griggs was a member of the Executive Leadership Team for Atlanta United and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur M. Blank’s full family of businesses.
She previously worked for Futures Sport & Entertainment, a cross-platform global media and sponsorships analytics consultancy, and for Turner Broadcasting.
In 2017, she was named a Sports Business Journal “Game Changer,” an annual award that honors female leaders across all aspects of sports business.
In 2019, Atlanta United was named the team of the year at the Sports Business Awards.
A North Carolina native, Griggs received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and her master’s from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. She and her husband, Justin, have two children.
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