A reformed investment banker turned marketer, James Ruth has spent the last decade building progressive football brands.
In seven years at Major League Soccer, James helped develop the Marketing Platforms group, crafted to grow MLS’s fan base while driving sponsorship and media revenue. His work garnered partnerships with brands such as Heineken, Tag Heuer, adidas, Target, and Audi, while leading MLS into new territories like gaming and gambling.
In 2020, James joined the leadership team at Austin FC before the Club’s launch in MLS. In three years, James and his team crafted one of the League’s most impactful and commercially relevant brands.
Built on a community and culture-first approach, Austin FC established MLS’s longest active sellout streak, a 24,000-seat paid season ticket waitlist, the best content engagement rate in North American sports, and a brand ranked as one of the most ‘authentically Austin’ in one of North America’s hottest and fastest growing markets. In 2022, the Club was named MLS Marketing Team of the Year.
In May of 2023, James made the move to gridiron football, joining the executive team of the NFL’s two-time Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers as Chief Marketing Officer. Soon after joining the organization, he helped lead the team’s relaunch of their beloved Creamsicle jerseys in a nod to the team’s almost 50-year legacy. With a campaign that integrated former Buccaneers legends and community stakeholders, the launch achieved one of the best sales performances for a throwback jersey to date in the NFL.
James received his MBA from Columbia University and his BBA from SMU in Dallas, Texas.
