Houston Dynamo Football Club (HDFC) announced today that veteran sports executive SJ (Sarah Jo) Luedtke will join the Club as the chief marketing officer. She is the third front-office executive hired by the Club since the arrival of Majority Owner and Chairman, Ted Segal in 2021.
“We’re thrilled to welcome SJ to the HDFC family. Her leadership and experience will help us grow the reach and engagement of our organization,” Club Chief Operating Officer, Jessica O’Neill said. “Given her background with both challenger brands and global brands, she’s uniquely qualified to take the Dynamo and Dash to new heights.”
In Houston, Luedtke will oversee media relations, creative content, advertising, retail, youth programs, community engagement and fan development for the Dynamo, Dash, Shell Energy Stadium and Houston Sports Park.
“It’s an exciting time to join HDFC. The organization is primed to realize its potential as a world-class organization on-and-off the pitch and I am elated to help lead and build towards that vision,” Luedtke said.
Luedtke joins the Club after spending four years as the vice president of marketing for the NTT IndyCar Series. Under her leadership the series expanded its marketing strategy by celebrating the history of NTT IndyCar Series with a modern voice to appeal to new consumers. As a result, the series extended the multi-year contract of NTT as presenting sponsor and the broadcast agreement with NBC Sports.
Her work extended to shaping and executing a content-creation experience for influencers to raise awareness of events affiliated with the sport throughout the year. Her efforts delivered year-over-year growth across several key performance indicators like app use and engagement rates. Her responsibilities included the development of new entertainment, licensing and merchandise projects for the series. Additionally, she restructured the cause and grassroots marketing efforts of the organization to surpass engagement objectives.
Luedtke spent nearly a decade with Nike prior to joining the NTT IndyCar Series. She began her career with the sportswear company as a regional event manager in 2010 and was promoted to brand manager of the running and women's category in 2012. She transitioned to a new role as the North America director of young athletes in 2015, where she helped generate nearly $2 billion in business following a reset of the division’s retail marketing strategy and the development of an athlete-led influencer marketing vision.
The Wisconsin native was promoted to global football brand director at Nike in 2016 and led the “Make ‘Em Miss” and “Who You With” campaigns, which generated positive revenue growth. Her digital-first plan facilitated consumer insight that sparked connections with consumers both online and at key national retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods. Additional responsibilities included pitching and securing athlete contracts with elite professionals like Russell Wilson and Saquon Barkley.
Luedtke’s experience includes nearly seven years with two leading sports marketing agencies working with brands including Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Craftsman, Motorola and Target. She spent four years with Wunderman Thompson managing the sponsorship strategy and activation and began her agency career with rEvolution in 2004.
The life-long sports enthusiast began her career in sports splitting time between motorsports teams and the Indianapolis Ice, a member of the International and Central Hockey Leagues.
Luedtke graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor of elementary education and is an active member of Women in Sports Executives (WISE). The endurance athlete has completed eight marathons and three Ironman triathlons.
