Tod Leiweke (born January 12, 1960, inSt. Louis, Missouri) is an American sports executive who is currently part-owner,president andchief executive officer (CEO) of theSeattle Kraken.
In the early 1980s, Leiweke was vice president of theNew York Arrows indoor soccer team.[1]
In 1993, he was hired to serve as team president of theHouston Rockets. In January of 1994, he resigned to take a position with theGolden State Warriors.[2] Despite his short tenure with Houston, the Rockets would later win the1994 NBA Finals due in part to some of the moves he made earlier in that season.
Leiweke was the chief executive officer of theSeattle Seahawks of theNational Football League, owned byPaul Allen, and theSeattle Sounders FC ofMajor League Soccer. Leiweke also was the CEO of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment (VSE), a management company also owned by Allen which oversees Allen's sports-related properties.[3] Prior to his employment with Allen, Leiweke had served as president of theMinnesota Wild, was the first executive director ofThe First Tee and previously held executive positions with thePGA Tour, theVancouver Canucks, and theGolden State Warriors.
Leiweke joined the Seahawks in 2003. In 2005, the team advanced toSuper Bowl XL, losing to thePittsburgh Steelers.
In 2007, he became acting president of thePortland Trail Blazers, replacingSteve Patterson. Vulcan Sports and Entertainment was created at that time.[4] Leiweke served as acting president until June 20 of that year, when the team namedLarry Miller to be its president.
Leiweke was the key deciding factor in the firing of former Seahawks coachJim L. Mora in January 2010,[5] and was also the main benefactor in the hiring of USC coachPete Carroll.
Leiweke was hired on July 26, 2010, to become the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Minority Owner of Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment including theTampa Bay Lightning, theTampa Bay Storm,Tampa Bay Times Forum, and the combined Cascade and TBSE Real Estate Project. On July 24, 2015, it was announced that Leiweke would resign from his projects in Tampa Bay to join the NFL as their newchief operating officer. He became the first NFL COO since commissionerRoger Goodell took over in 2003. On March 13, 2018, Leiweke resigned as COO of the NFL.[6]
The ownership group of the Seattle Kraken, Seattle's National Hockey League expansion team, announced on April 11, 2018, that Leiweke would become the president and CEO of the team.[7] He is also a minority owner of the Kraken.
Tod is the younger brother ofTim Leiweke,[8] president and CEO ofOak View Group. He and his wife Tara became part-owners of theSeattle Sounders FC ofMajor League Soccer in 2020.[9] They have two children, Tyler and Tori.
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Position Established | Seattle Kraken CEO 2018–present | Succeeded by Current |
| Preceded by | Portland Trail Blazers President 2007 (interim) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Portland Trail Blazers General Manager 2007 (interim) | Succeeded by |