CEO Leaves $13 Billion Soup Company to Run Commanders

A longtime soup and snack executive is Josh Harris’s new pick to lead the Commanders.

The Commanders owner hired Mark Clouse, CEO and president of Campbell’s, to be the team’s new president. 

Clouse had been running the company, until recently known as Campbell Soup Co., since 2019 after being CEO of Pinnacle Foods, which produces packaged foods. The hire comes a month after Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which is Harris’s umbrella company for the Commanders, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Jersey Devils, announced a partnership with Campbell’s. Both companies are headquartered in Camden, N.J., just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. 

“In Mark we have found a dynamic leader with a stellar track record of guiding organizations to excellence, building brands that connect deeply with consumers, and ultimately delivering best-in-class experiences and lasting memories,” Harris said in a release Tuesday. “Mark shares our commitment to using the power of the Commanders franchise to bring people together. As a military veteran and accomplished business builder, he has a proven ability to strengthen both the organizations he leads and the communities he serves.”

Clouse previously served in the military, and attended West Point, where he played basketball for the Knights. He spent six and a half years serving as a helicopter pilot for the Army, in which he rose to the rank of captain before pursuing a career in the food industry. 

In Washington, Clouse will be in charge of all facets of the organization’s business operations and report directly to Harris. Clouse takes over for Jason Wright, who was team president under prior owner Dan Snyder from 2020 to 2023, but has stayed with the organization as an adviser while Harris looked for a replacement. Wright was president during a controversial time in team history; the organization was under multiple investigations by the NFL, Congress, and all three attorneys general in the DMV for allegations related to a toxic workplace culture led by Snyder. Under Wright, the team changed its name from the Washington Football Team to the Commanders in 2022. 

Clouse joins some other team presidents who migrated from the corporate to the sports world, though a food industry exec in pro sports is rare. Brooklyn Nets president Sam Zussman came from Endeavor, and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was hired after running Deloitte for four years. 

Clouse comes to D.C. with no ties to the area and no experience in professional sports. Wright’s staff caught flack for its lack of institutional knowledge given the team’s involvement with multiple jurisdictions of Maryland, D.C., and Virginia, which few professional sports teams can relate to. 

The new president will also lead the planning and development of the team’s stadium. The Commanders have been exploring options for a new stadium since Harris bought the team for roughly $6 billion in July 2023 and are currently lobbying to get permission to build on the site of RFK Stadium, which is a federally controlled property. Harris was on Capitol Hill on Monday lobbying for a bill, along with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, that would grant the team permission to build on the land. The Commanders are 8–5 this season and find themselves in the playoff hunt for the first time in years, partially thanks to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. 

Campbell’s, which has a market cap close to $13 billion, saw its stock rise 32% over Clouse’s five-year tenure as CEO. However, the company reported first-quarter earnings Tuesday that missed Wall Street expectations for gross margin, as its snacks business showed weakness. In addition to its trademark soups, Campbell’s acquired Rao’s pasta sauces for $2.7 billion in 2023 and also makes the Prego line of sauces. The company also has Pepperidge Farm, maker of Goldfish Crackers, Cape Cod potato chips, and Milano cookies in its portfolio. 

“The Commanders’ passionate fanbase, which has stood by this team for decades, deserves nothing less than our unwavering commitment to excellence,” Clouse said in a release. “I look forward to supporting ownership, as well as [general manager] Adam Peters and [coach] Dan Quinn, in doing everything in our power to build a championship-caliber organization.”