Bay FC’s brand is getting bigger, and it’s starting to reach beyond the limits of the second-year National Women’s Soccer League club itself.
Bay Collective, an organization founded in January by Bay FC owners Sixth Street as a parent company of sorts, has hired two new staffers to build out its front office, the club told the Bay Area News Group.
Anja van Ginhoven joins as the director of global women’s football operations at Sixth Street, and Patricia González joins as the global sporting director of Bay Collective.
The two new voices are joining from the English Football Association and Atlético Madrid, respectively, and will be working under Bay Collective CEO Kay Cossington’s leadership to drive the next phase of the Bay Collective’s strategy.
The moves come as Bay FC enters a state of transition with two games remaining in the regular season. Founding Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart already left her role in September, and head coach Albertin Montoya will be stepping down from his role at the end of the season.
“Patricia and Anja bring deep expertise and proven success at the highest levels within global women’s football,” Cossington said in a statement. “They have lived and breathed women’s football for the better part of their lives. Their experience and leadership will be instrumental in driving our organization to excel, fostering environments both on and off the pitch where players and staff can reach their full potential. They bring immense value to us, and their unrivalled knowledge of women’s football makes Bay Collective unique as we seek to execute the next phase of our strategy. I am thrilled for them to come on board.”
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In the role as the director of global women’s football operations, van Ginhoven will be responsible for optimizing the platform’s soccer-related activities and operations, the club said. Her role will involve shaping the direction for football governance, operations, performance enhancement and facility development.
Van Ginhoven was previously the general manager of the English women’s national team for the past four years. She previously worked as general manager and communications manager for the Dutch women’s national team.
González will oversee and drive the sporting strategy for all clubs within Bay Collective and will work closely with club managers, coaches, and senior leadership to leverage data and analytics and position each club for success on and off the pitch, the club said. In her previous role as the women’s technical director of Atlético Madrid, she oversaw the scouting strategy and helped shape the club’s high-performance culture.
González, a former player, has also worked for FIFA and led its talent development unit.
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