Colorado Rapids Announce Justyne Freud as SVP of Marketing & Brand Strategy, Elizabeth DeFeo as VP of Partnerships
MLS Colorado Rapids

Colorado Rapids Announce Justyne Freud as SVP of Marketing & Brand Strategy, Elizabeth DeFeo as VP of Partnerships

Published on May 7, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - The Colorado Rapids announced today the appointment of Justyne Freud as the club's first-ever Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy and Elizabeth DeFeo as Vice President of Partnerships. These key additions to the front office support a major organizational push toward a revitalized commercial vision and long-term strategic growth as the club continues to move towards a new era.

"Bringing in leaders of Justyne and Elizabeth's caliber is a definitive statement about where this club is headed," said Colorado Rapids Chief Business Officer Haley Durmer. "Justyne's ability to build culturally resonant brands, paired with Elizabeth's sophisticated, data-driven approach to global partnerships, is exactly what we need to break through in our market. They are world-class operators who will elevate our commercial platform while deepening the connection between our brand and the communities we serve."

A seasoned executive with over a decade of experience supporting major U.S. sports properties, Freud will lead the club's marketing and brand strategy with a focus on positioning the club as a premier sports and entertainment leader. In her role, she will oversee the Rapids' brand identity, ensuring cultural relevance and brand continuity while driving fan growth and commercial opportunities.

DeFeo joins the Rapids with 15 years of experience guiding brands through complex sports investments across the NFL, MLB, NHL, Formula 1, and major global competitions including FIFA and the Olympics. As Vice President of Partnerships, she will lead sponsorship strategy and brand activation, focusing on building scalable operating models and programs that drive measurable value for partners, fans and the club.

"These leadership appointments signal a major acceleration of our long-term strategic vision and highlight the commitment and support we have from Stan and Josh Kroenke as well as Kevin Demoff," said Colorado Rapids President Pádraig Smith. "They are also an important step in supporting the evolution of our commercial operations under Haley's leadership. The addition of Justyne and Elizabeth further strengthens our team as we position the club for sustained growth and create a more integrated, high-performing front office, one that can expand our reach, elevate our brand, and deliver a more compelling experience for our fans."

Freud joins the Rapids following a highly successful tenure as Vice President of Marketing and Communications for San Diego Wave FC. She brings a wealth of diverse experience, building high-performance teams, and transforming portfolios into market leaders through brand strategy, data insights, and innovative execution. During her time in San Diego, she also oversaw the club's ticketing function, leading the organization to two consecutive league-leading attendance seasons and building a brand platform that generated multimillion-dollar annual ticket revenue. Her leadership in developing tentpole fan experiences and long-term brand storytelling helped position the Wave as a cultural catalyst in the NWSL.

Prior to her time in San Diego, Freud spent three years in Major League Soccer with Chicago Fire FC as Senior Director of Marketing and Business Communications. There, she was a key architect of the club's post-rebrand strategy and marketing approach, including the stadium relocation to Soldier Field that resulted in the highest ticketing revenue in club history at the time. Her career also includes a transformative stint with the Chicago Red Stars, where she spearheaded the design and launch of the first-ever custom Nike jersey in NWSL history.

DeFeo brings a data-led, relationship-first approach to partnership development, with a clear mandate to evolve how sponsors engage with fans, culture, and community. Her focus will be on driving the next phase of commercial growth for the club, evolving long term partner value, pioneering activation innovation, and shaping a best-in-class enterprise platform for the club's next era.

She has deep institutional experience from Octagon, where she spent 13 years and most recently served as Vice President of Client Services, holding accountability for more than $150 million in annual sponsorship portfolios across Fortune 100 partners including GEICO, Mastercard, Cisco, and AB InBev. Across her career, DeFeo has been responsible for the full lifecycle of partnerships, from investment strategy and rights negotiation to activation, measurement, and long term portfolio governance. She has led integrated, cross functional teams across North America and Asia Pacific and advised senior brand and executive stakeholders on how to drive sustainable growth and enterprise value through sport.

DeFeo will report to Sean Sullivan, who after 13 years with the club, will step into an elevated role as Senior Vice President of Commercial Revenues. Sullivan leads the club's commercial revenue strategy, aligning ticketing, partnerships, and future revenue streams around shared goals and data-driven insights. Similarly, Caitlin Kinser has been promoted to Vice President of Community Impact and Fan Development. A decade-long veteran of the club, Kinser will oversee youth, community and philanthropic efforts to deepen brand affinity across the Rocky Mountain region.

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