Tim Bezbatchenko — President and General Manager

Currently in his sixth season leading the Columbus Crew, Tim Bezbatchenko was named President & General Manager on January 4, 2019, when he was selected by the Haslam, Johnson and Edwards families to direct the Crew’s overall long-term mission, vision and soccer operations when the group acquired operating rights to MLS’ first club.

Under Bezbatchenko, the Crew have claimed two MLS Cups in the past four seasons (2020 and 2023), plus the 2021 Campeones Cup. When the Black & Gold hoisted their third MLS Cup last year, he became the first Chief Soccer Officer in franchise history to win multiple MLS Cups, the third CSO in MLS history with three or more league championships (Kenny Payne, D.C. United and Garth Lagerwey, Real Salt Lake/Seattle Sounders) and only the second in the role to claim a title with multiple clubs (Lagerwey).

In December 2022, Bezbatchenko spearheaded the Black & Gold’s comprehensive search that resulted in Wilfried Nancy being named the team’s eighth full-time head coach, who ultimately was a finalist for the 2023 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year Award. In their first season together, Bezbatchenko and Nancy lifted the MLS Cup; tied a franchise record with 57 points (third in the MLS Supporters’ Shield); posted a MLS-best 67 regular season goals, their first time pacing the league in the category; and led the league and set Club standards in many major statistical categories for performance at home.

The success in 2023 occurred following one of Bezbatchenko’s most active summer transfer windows, highlighted by the incoming transfers of Diego Rossi and Yevhen Cheberko and the outgoing transfer of Lucas Zelarayán and trades for Julian Gressel and Rudy Camacho. The Crew also received tremendous contributions from talent developed within the Club: Homegrown Midfielder Aidan Morris, a 2023 MLS All-Star and Under 22 presented by BODYARMOR selection; 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Goalkeeper of the Year Patrick Schulte and Homegrown Midfielder/Defender Sean Zawadzki, who received their first U.S. Men’s National Team call-ups; and 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Best XI Defender Mohamed Farsi.

Bezbatchenko and the Club are committed to giving their supporters a best-in-class experience while fielding a championship-caliber team by investing in player and staff development and advancing the player pathway to the First Team at all levels of competition, including Crew 2, the winners of the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Cup (2022) and back-to-back Eastern Conference champions; Crew Academy, which was named the 2023 MLS Mark Abbott Club Awards Academy of the Year; and Crew Youth.

As part of that dedication, Bezbatchenko played a pivotal role in providing Columbus two of MLS’ and the sports industry’s premier facilities in Lower.com Field and the OhioHealth Performance Center. In 2023, the Crew played 18 MLS matches in front of capacity crowds at Lower.com Field and 17 consecutive to close the campaign, including a venue-record 20,802 when the Club hosted the MLS Cup Final. Those totals significantly surpassed previous Club single-season records of seven total and four consecutive, both of which most recently occurred in 2022. Bezbatchenko also helped the Crew secure hosting rights to the 2024 MLS All-Star Game, the third in Columbus and first at Lower.com Field, as well as a multiyear jersey partnership with Nationwide Insurance.

Bezbatchenko, a 2021 SportsBusiness Journal Forty Under 40 honoree, joined Columbus after serving as Toronto FC’s Senior Vice President of Soccer Operations & General Manager from 2013-2018 and working as the Senior Director of Player Relations and Competition for Major League Soccer from 2010-2013.

During his tenure as Columbus’ Chief Soccer Officer, Bezbatchenko has acquired top international talent while also emphasizing the importance of elevating player performance throughout the Crew organization. He led the acquisition efforts for the three highest-profile transfers in club history: 2020 MLS Cup MVP and 2021 MLS All-Star Zelarayán in 2020; 2023 MLS Cup MVP and MLS Best XI Forward Cucho Hernández; and Rossi. One of the most important trades was acquiring 2023 MLS All-Star Darlington Nagbe from Atlanta United in 2020. Additionally, the Crew First Team is bolstered by multiple Homegrown talents and/or players who honed their skills with Crew 2, including Morris and Zawadzki, 2022 MLS NEXT Pro MVP and Golden Boot winner Forward Jacen Russell-Rowe, Defender Will Sands and Forward Taha Habroune and Midfielder Cole Mrowka, who were elevated to the First Team in 2024 after progressing through the Club’s player pathway from the Crew Academy and Crew 2.

With Toronto FC, Bezbatchenko helped the club post four of its best seasons in franchise history (2014-2017), highlighted by a domestic treble in 2017 (MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield and Canadian Championship), three consecutive Canadian Cup Championships (2016-2018) and reaching the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League Final when the club lost on penalty kicks to Chivas Guadalajara. Toronto signed key players in 2015 Golden Boot winner and Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player Sebastian Giovinco, England international Jermain Defoe and American internationals Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore. On the player development front, Bezbatchenko and Toronto in 2015 established TFC II, which debuted in the United Soccer League and now competes in MLS NEXT Pro.

Prior to Toronto, Bezbatchenko worked as the Senior Director of Player Relations and Competition for MLS (2010-2013) in a role where he oversaw all MLS rosters, the MLS player pool and team salary budgets. He also was responsible for youth and player development initiatives for the League, including helping launch the EFCL coaching course between MLS and the French Football Federation.

Before joining MLS, Bezbatchenko served as an attorney for Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York in their mergers and acquisition group. He earned degrees with honors from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Leadership Studies (2004) and the University of Cincinnati College of Law (2008).

Bezbatchenko serves on the Executive Board of Advisors for University of Richmond Jepson School of Leadership Studies and is a chapter member of Young Presidents Organization, a global leadership community of extraordinary chief executives from across the globe. As part of his dedication to Central Ohio, he previously contributed on the boards of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and City of Bexley Recreation and Parks.

A native of Westerville, Ohio, Bezbatchenko was a two-time NCAA Academic All-America, an All-America for the South Atlantic Region, a First Team All-Conference midfielder and two-year captain for the Richmond Spiders. He played professionally with the United Soccer League’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2004-2005), who finished atop the league in 2004. Bezbatchenko resides in Bexley, Ohio with his wife, Annie, and their two kids: Jack (11) and Sarah (9).