Atlanta United today announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Garth Lagerwey will be taking an indefinite leave of absence after recently being diagnosed with cancer. Lagerwey has begun treatment and there is no timetable for his return to the office. The prognosis of a complete recovery is encouraging.
In the interim, Chief Soccer Officer Chris Henderson, Chief Business Officer Skate Noftsinger and Senior Vice President of Strategy Dimitrios Efstathiou will continue to lead the day-to-day operations of their respective departments and provide regular reports to Lagerwey and Rich McKay, Chief Executive Officer of AMB Sports and Entertainment, during his absence.
“On behalf of myself, Atlanta United, and the entire Blank Family of Businesses, we stand fully behind Garth and his family as they navigate this difficult challenge,” said Arthur M. Blank, Owner and Chairman of Atlanta United. “Garth’s resilience and optimism are part of what makes him such an exceptional leader, and I know he’ll carry those strengths in the days ahead. I have complete confidence in our leadership team and players as we navigate this transition together. We all look forward to welcoming Garth back in the future and will be praying for him and his family’s continued strength, and a smooth recovery.”
“Garth has assembled an outstanding executive team that will handle the day-to-day responsibilities in his absence,” McKay said. “During this time, our entire leadership group at AMBSE will also be fully available to provide any additional support. The Blank Family of Businesses will be fully supportive of Garth and his family during his absence.”
“I have made the difficult decision to step back from Atlanta United to tackle my cancer treatment head-on,” Lagerwey said. “I would like to express my profound gratitude to Arthur Blank for not only his support, but by doing everything in his power to make this process as painless as possible for me and my family. I could not possibly work for a better organization than AMBSE.
“Atlanta United has a high-performing leadership team in place on the business and soccer sides of the club. Chris, Skate and Dimitrios are experienced and talented leaders, and I have full confidence in their abilities to lead our club in my absence. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing our fans again soon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I shall return.”
