When you think of Las Vegas, images of bright lights, high-stakes action, and world-class entertainment come to mind. Now, add a rising soccer powerhouse to that list. At the helm of Las Vegas Lights FC is CEO Shawn McIntosh, a man with a unique global perspective and a mission to make his club "the most accessible in the world." We sat down with him to talk leadership, community, and his enviable football kit collection.
McIntosh's journey is anything but ordinary. Born to an Italian mother and an American serviceman, he spent his childhood moving between Napoli, La Maddalena, Gaeta, and Catania. Rooting for Lazio became second nature, but his American roots always pulled him back. After high school in 2003, he traded the Mediterranean for West Virginia, earning a degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science from Wheeling University, followed by a Master's in Sports Management from Penn West California.
His professional career kicked off in the American Hockey League with the Norfolk Admirals, where he cut his teeth in sales. From there, it was off to the desert Southwest, joining the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. By 2014, he was the WNBA's top group seller—a feat that caught the attention of Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo. Over the next few years, he climbed from senior account executive to director of ticket sales, learning the ins and outs of the beautiful game stateside.
A return to the WNBA followed in 2018 with the Las Vegas Aces, but the pull of soccer was too strong. After a brief stint back in Norfolk, McIntosh landed at Charlotte FC in a role that would define his leadership style: Chief Fan Officer.
"I say this all the time: that role of Chief Fan Officer really laid the groundwork for me as a CEO, overseeing the entirety of the business," McIntosh explains. "Every organization knows and understands that fans are the lifeblood of a club. Without fans, there is no football. Without fans, your football club can't survive. Everybody understands that."
That fan-first philosophy is now the driving force behind Las Vegas Lights. McIntosh isn't just building a team; he's building a community hub where everyone feels welcome. Whether it's through affordable ticket pricing, fan engagement initiatives, or his personal passion for collecting kits from clubs around the world, he's determined to make the Lights a beacon of accessibility in professional sports.