The United States Tennis Association (USTA) appointed Mike McGoohan, former president and chief growth officer of Solo Stove, to the newly created role of chief growth officer.
McGoohan is responsible for leading efforts to expand tennis participation and engagement nationwide, spearheading strategic growth initiatives across recreational play, digital engagement and national programming. He will work from the USTA National Campus in Orlando, FL.
“Reaching 35 million tennis players by 2035 is an ambitious goal and it’s going to require a coordinated, collaborative effort across every part of our organization,” said USTA Interim Co-CEOs Andrea Hirsch and Brian Vahaly. “That’s why we created this new leadership role. Mike has a proven track record of accelerating growth at scale, and we’re confident that his experience and vision will help us bring the benefits of the world’s healthiest sport to more people and communities across America.”
McGoohan is also responsible for assisting the USTA with its national programs, including Red Ball, youth leagues, and Cardio Tennis. Working in collaboration with the USTA’s 17 Sections, “he will ensure that national and local efforts are aligned to drive scalable and measurable impact,” said the Association in a media release.
Reporting into McGoohan are Play & Competition, USTA Coaching, Marketing, Digital Strategy, Strategy & Innovation, and Industry & Sales departments.
“Tennis holds a powerful place in American culture, and I see tremendous opportunity to unlock growth, particularly among new and casual players,” said McGoohan. “I’m excited to help expand the game’s reach and relevance across diverse communities and to make tennis more accessible and engaging for people of all ages. It’s an honor to join an organization so deeply committed to the sport’s future, and I look forward to partnering with our team to build innovative, data-driven strategies that grow participation and strengthen the tennis ecosystem for generations to come.”
At Solo Brands, McGoohan reportedly “led the turnaround and transformation of the $0.5B consumer lifestyle brand platform, stabilizing operations, redefining strategic and commercial priorities, and driving omnichannel expansion across the portfolio,” according to USTA. McGoohan also “developed a multi-year growth plan for the organization, while strengthening the leadership team and building a high-performance culture across the organization.”
Previously, McGoohan served as the chief marketing officer for Central Garden and Pet, where he co-led the “growth transformation of the company, resulting in 14 consecutive record quarters.” He also held roles as chief marketing officer and interim co-CEO at Performance Health, where he “led the brand transformation and accelerated the growth of Biofreeze, the pain relief brand.” Earlier in his career, McGoohan served as vice president, global head of strategy, insights and analytics for Mondelez International, overseeing the growth of the iconic Oreo and Cadbury brands across global markets.
USTA stated that “McGoohan has sports marketing experience and has developed relationships with top sports organizations and entities to drive commercial growth and increase audience reach.” His experience working within sports also includes a tenure with the Boston Consulting Group, where he advised sports leagues, teams and brands on strategy, growth and innovation. Additionally, he worked at Chip Ganassi Racing, where he managed strategic partnerships for an IndyCar and NASCAR team.
Images courtesy USTA/Mike McGoohan
