Dear valued fans,

I’m writing today to share some news that is both exciting and a little bittersweet: at the end of 2026, I will retire as CEO of Minnesota United (that’s the bittersweet part, especially for me) and Christina Hennington will become the club’s next CEO (that’s the exciting part, for all of us).

First, let me tell you why. As much as I still wake up every day thinking this is the greatest job in the world — and there’s a part of me that wants to keep doing it for another twenty years — the more rational part of me knows that this is the right time for me to step aside. Simply put, I am blessed with an amazing family and an incredible community of friends, and at this stage in my life, I would like to spend more time out in the world with them. 

Because this was a planned succession, we spent a lot of time meeting with and learning about a wide range of potential leaders — people with deep soccer experience, people from outside of sports, and many incredibly smart, talented individuals from different backgrounds.

Throughout that process, Christina stood out. She brings tremendous leadership experience, including more than 20 years at Target, where she most recently served as EVP and Chief Growth Officer. She is smart, thoughtful, strategic, driven, funny, and a great leader of people. She cares deeply about this community and is fully aligned with the values, mission, and ambitions of Minnesota United. I personally enjoy her a lot, and I am looking forward to working with her to ensure a seamless transition.

I don’t have enough room in this email to tell you everything I want you to know about Christina, so I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read the full press release and watch a conversation Christina and I recently recorded with Kyndra de St. Aubin. I think you’ll quickly see why I am so confident she is the right person to help lead this club into its next chapter.

The timing of this change is personal, but it is also made with a view to what lies ahead for our club, for Major League Soccer, and for the sport, on the heels of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. It is an exciting time, full of possibility, and we are extremely fortunate to have Christina as our next CEO to help lead Minnesota United forward.  Christina is joining the club immediately, and I will work with her to ensure a smooth transition as we move into the second half of our season.  

Second, and equally important, I want to share my deepest gratitude for the experience each of you has given me over the past 5+ seasons. You have been generous in sharing your knowledge and love of the world’s game. You have helped us think bigger about the role this club can play in our community. And you have been impatient (in the best possible way) in pushing us to be better for the people we serve and in the work we do every day.

I’ve learned from you. I’ve grown as a person because of you. I am a better community citizen because of you. And I am now a life-long soccer lover because of you. I am immensely grateful for that and everything else. So, even after I retire, you will still find me in my season ticket seats belting out "Wonderwall" at the top of my lungs. Off-key, but enthusiastically!

—Shari Ballard