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Old Glory DC

Old Glory DC Names Marcelo Blanco as the First General Manager of Business Operations in Franchise History

August 8, 2022 - Major League Rugby (MLR)
Old Glory DC News Release


WASHINGTON, DC - Old Glory DC announces the hiring of Marcelo Blanco as General Manager of Business Operations. Blanco becomes the first General Manager of Business Operations in franchise history.

Blanco comes to Washington, DC, with over 35 years of experience working in the financial services and sports industries, as well as in academia and government. His career has included serving as the CEO of Deutsche Bank Argentina from 2008 to 2012 and, previously, as the Global Head of Latin America Capital Markets and Sales for Deutsche Bank New York from 2000 to 2008. Blanco also served as a senior government official for the nation of Argentina, holding senior posts in the areas of both Energy and Finance during the administration of President Macri.

In the world of professional rugby, Blanco has served as an advisor to professional players, clubs, and unions for many years, and his ties with one of Old Glory's owners, the Scottish Rugby Union, date back to 2011. For the past two years, he has served as an international consultant for Scottish Rugby while teaching Finance courses at Argentina's prestigious Di Tella University.

"It is with great honor that I will wear the red, white, and blue colors of Old Glory DC," said Blanco on his arrival with Old Glory. "I am thankful to the ownership of the Club for the opportunity. Not everybody gets to combine one's true passions - finance and sports - in life, and I am prepared to add my professional and personal skills to the benefit of the team. I am also very proud of having the opportunity to help share the rugby values within the DC area community."

As Old Glory DC's first General Manager of Business Operations, Blanco will lead the Club's front office, including the commercial, ticketing and marketing teams, liaise with Major League Rugby, oversee the leadership of the Greater Washington Rugby Foundation, also known as Young Glory, through its important grass roots and rugby academy programs, oversee the Club's media relations, and work in partnership with the Head Coach in rugby operations activities.

"Our organization has reached a level of maturity and performance that requires the full-time attention of an accomplished leader with an established network of relationships and a sterling reputation in both financial management and the rugby world," said Old Glory Chairman Chris Dunlavey. "We have found exactly those characteristics in Marcelo."

Marcelo Blanco marks one of the first team hires ahead of the upcoming Major League Rugby season, set to begin in early 2023. The team anticipates more personnel announcements related to the rugby leadership soon, including a Head Coach announcement.

Marcelo Blanco was born and raised in Argentina and played rugby for 20 years, from grade school to college. He enjoys both USA and Argentina citizenships and holds an Industrial Engineering degree from the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires and a Master's degree in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Fluent in Spanish and English, he enjoys rugby, golf, and running, and recently moved to Washington Metropolitan with his wife, Agustina.

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