Gotham FC have hired former Florida Panthers executive Mark Zarthar as team president, installing a new business leader as the NWSL club looks to parlay championship success into commercial growth in the country’s largest media market.

Zarthar, a 2025 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree, will oversee the club’s business operations, including revenue generation, marketing, operations, finance and HR functions. His arrival coincides with the departure of Ryan Dillon, who had served as chief business officer since owner Carolyn Tisch Blodgett took control of the club in 2023. Dillon is returning to Tisch’s investment firm, Next 3, as chief growth officer. Sportico first reported Gotham FC’s hiring of Zarthar.

The move is the latest step in a broader reshaping of Gotham FC’s leadership structure. Former Angel City FC Head of Strategy and Chief of Staff Kari Fleischauer, who joined Gotham as COO, and former 49ers CMO Alex Chang, who joined as CRO, will now report to Zarthar. The club will also announce the promotion of GM Yael Averbuch West to president of soccer operations.

Zarthar will be tasked with elevating Gotham FC into one of the NWSL’s top-performing businesses to match an impressive run of on-field success that has included two championships in the past three seasons. Attendance at Sports Illustrated Stadium, where the team is a tenant, grew by 41% between 2023 and 2025, but its average of 8,892 last season still ranked below the league average of 10,669.

“We have a tremendously strong fan base today – they’re very passionate and they’re a significant part of our DNA,” Zarthar said. “My job is to continue to grow that fan base at scale and, as a result, grow our brand and grow our top line business.”

Zarthar left the Panthers in December 2025, joining several top business leaders to depart following their second consecutive Stanley Cup victory in 2024-25. He spent three years with the NHL franchise, during which the team capitalized on a remarkable run of on-ice success to achieve significant business growth.

He served as the Panthers’ chief strategy officer for more than two years before becoming CRO last July. He led the team’s local broadcast transition from its longtime regional sports network to an over-the-air deal with Scripps Sports.

Before joining the Panthers, Zarthar served as Senior VP/Marketing for the Flyers and president of the Astros’ Single-A affiliate, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. He also spent four years in marketing at Anheuser-Busch, overseeing the Natural Light brand.

Gotham FC has been exploring a possible move to Etihad Park, the new soccer-specific stadium being built by NYCFC in Queens that is set to open in 2027. Sportico recently reported the team is in “advanced talks,” and the club has acknowledged it will continue to “regularly evaluate options to best support our players, supporters and organization.”

A move to Etihad Park, which would likely occur in 2028 at the earliest, could dramatically reorient Gotham FC’s fan base, making the team more visible and accessible to fans in Queens and Brooklyn at the expense of those in New Jersey. Zarthar declined to comment on the potential move but said the team intends to engage the entire region.

“I would argue that both New Jersey and New York City are both parts of our long-term growth plan,” Zarthar said. “We benefit from being located in the largest media market in the country. We have an opportunity to scale tremendously as a result of being in the greater New York area, but the New York area is also incredibly competitive. So, we need to differentiate ourselves and make noise within the marketplace to attract new fans and attract additional partners.”