By Alex Silverman
The Houston Dynamo and Dash have made another major addition to their executive team, hiring Graham Wincott as the new CMO of the MLS and NWSL clubs. Wincott, a Houston native, most recently served as VP/Brand Marketing for the Suns, WNBA Mercury and Mortgage Matchup Center after more than a decade with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.
The organization retained Elevate Talent to lead the search for a new CMO following the departure of SJ Luedtke earlier this year. The Wincott hire comes on the heels of the organization’s addition of NICOLÒ ZINI from Miami’s local World Cup host committee to serve as CRO. Both Wincott and Zini will report to President of Business Operations Jessica O'Neill.
As CMO, Wincott will oversee communications, social media, creative content, digital marketing, advertising, retail and fan engagement for the Dynamo, Dash and Shell Energy Stadium. He is tasked with capitalizing on Houston’s role as a 2026 FIFA World Cup host city to boost interest in the Dynamo and Dash, who have each lagged their respective league averages in attendance and revenue in recent years. Houston, which boasts the fifth-largest population among U.S. metro areas, ranked No. 10 in SBJ’s list of Best Sports Business Cities: Soccer earlier this year for its success as a host for major events.
“I have a strong background in growing brands through storytelling while also being able to grow revenue and fan engagement.”
Graham Wincott
Chief Marketing Officer
“So, as we’re going into these seasons for both teams, I think you’ll see more of a focus on storytelling around the team and the players and driving a stronger connection between the team and the fans.”
In early October, owner TED SEGAL was reportedly on the verge of selling the Dash to RHC Group, a firm founded by 24-year-old billionaire RICHARD HSIAO. Those advanced talks didn’t materialize, however, as Segal said in late October that he is “not in active discussions with anybody to sell the Dash at this moment in time.”
Elevate led the search.
