SAALFELDEN, AUSTRIA, October 3, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Fan Owned Club, Inc., on late Thursday received the approval by its shareholders to formally seat the entity’s inaugural Board of Directors - composed of FOC co-Founders Steve Paris and Trey Fitz-Gerald, longtime advisor Dave Crouch and North American football legend Andy Williams.

The Board is currently engaged in discussions with CEO Mark Ciociola regarding his future, while the Board also reiterates its full commitment to and support of Austrian Third-Division side FC Pinzgau, it’s Founders, players and staff.

The board expects to convene a full shareholder meeting in the coming weeks regarding the future direction of FOC and FCPS, clearly defining roles and responsibilities moving forward and divulging details on numerous sporting and business topics.

FAN OWNED CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS - OCTOBER, 2020

Steve Paris, 49, FOC co-Founder, has 25 years of experience in both big corporate and startup settings. Since 2009, he has served as Senior Vice President for Aimia, a global loyalty management and data marketing company, where he worked directly with large retailers and consumer packaged goods companies including CVS Health, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Wegmans, General Mills, Unilever and Kraft Heinz. Steve holds an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis BS and a BS in Sport Management from the UMASS Amherst.

Trey Fitz-Gerald, 50, FOC co-Founder, owns 27 years of media and marketing experience in professional sports, primarily soccer, and is a veteran of five professional organizational launches. Since October of 2018, Trey has worked as an independent marketing contractor for Major League Soccer. Prior to that Trey served as the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake since 2004, where he oversaw the Club’s branding, marketing, advertising, TV and radio broadcast, media, public and community relations efforts. Fitz-Gerald earned a B.A. in English from Regis (Colo.) University.

Dave Crouch, 52, Strategic Advisor, is the president of ten24 Digital Solutions, an eCommerce software company recently named to Inc Magazine’s Fast 5000 list of private companies. Dave founded ten24 in 2008. He has an extensive background in marketing, media and software sales. Dave has a BS in Communications from Syracuse University, where he was also a member of the varsity soccer team.

Andrew Williams, 43, Strategic Advisor, is a well-known name across the CONCACAF region, and proud MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup Champion. The Canadian-born playmaker and former Univ. of Rhode Island star represented Jamaica at the FIFA World Cup in 1998 as a 20-year old, then embarking on an illustrious career in Major League Soccer. Williams retired in 2014 after nine seasons with Real Salt Lake, becoming the first Head Scout in MLS while simultaneously joining the Club’s coaching staff. In recent seasons, Williams has utilized his keen eye for talent and deep networks with international and domestic players and agents for the benefit of the Utah side’s MLS, USL and Academy teams.

ABOUT FAN OWNED CLUB

Fans are the lifeblood of any entertainment business. The FOC endeavor aims to provide unprecedented access to and transparency for Club decision-making and operational experiences for fans/shareholders/owners - with FOC, these descriptors are interchangeable.

During the Summer of 2019, the three-man, United States-led entity operating as “Fan Owned Club” joined the FCPS founders to initiate an enhanced vision and embark on an ambitious plan to introduce a new era for football (soccer) in the Pinzgau / Salzburg / Bavarian region of the Austrian Alps.

Fan Owned Club secured the LLC (GmbH) that operates FC Pinzgau Saalfelden and makes all Club-related decisions. Similar to club ownership in Germany, the Austrian Federation requires a non-profit entity (Verein) to hold the actual license to compete. The Verein is controlled by six members, all of whom hold significant ownership within Fan Owned Club.

ABOUT FC PINZGAU

FC Pinzgau was established in 2007 in Saalfelden, Austria, calling the picturesque Pinzgau region of the Austrian Alps home. Fueled by a passion for community, quality and professionalism, FC Pinzgau’s promise is to showcase cosmopolitan talent locally while providing platforms that focus the eyes of the world on our spectacular backyard. Our unique “fan owned” experience, fueled by ambition, dreams and vision, aims to celebrating the unity and excitement inherent in world-class soccer. The choice of Austria was a calculated one by FOC Founders. The Austrian Federation offers both reasonable entry costs and with five UEFA berths each year, the potential to reach European competition quickly was another factor. Our leadership team includes former MLS executives and front office professionals with a track record of both business and on-field success.

Trey Fitz-Gerald
FC Pinzgau - A Fan Owned Club
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