Ed Nalbandian

A lifelong soccer enthusiast, Ed Nalbandian joined Gotham FC’s ownership group in January 2020. He is a former high school, collegiate and semi-professional player; a former professional youth soccer coach; and a devoted NWSL and Premier League fan.

As the club’s Alternate Governor, Ed works with and supports Carolyn Tisch in her role as Governor of Gotham FC. He is a member of the boards of Gotham FC and the NWSL and serves on the NWSL Sporting Committee. In addition, Ed serves as Chief Strategy Officer, Soccer, collaborating closely with President of Soccer, Yael Averbuch West. In this role, he is responsible for the club’s long-term soccer strategy as well as roster planning - including soccer financial planning, roster management operations, and strategic soccer projects that help shape the club’s future.

Nalbandian brings more than 40 years of executive experience. He served as CEO of three IT services companies; held executive roles at IBM, AT&T, Cognizant and Avaya; and was a finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2003. He also authored the acclaimed IT services book, “The Managed Services Playbook.”

Nalbandian earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics at the University of North Carolina. He and his wife of 35 years, Tracy, have two children, Kellie and Eric.