PHOENIX — Phoenix Rising FC, the Valley’s minor league soccer team, has added a new member to its board of directors as some longtime team leaders and co-owners shift into other soccer team investments.
Bill Kraus, a co-owner in Phoenix Rising and an investment banker by trade, was named as the team’s governor on its board of directors earlier this month. In professional sports, the governor of a team represents the franchise at high-level league meetings.
Kraus is taking over the spot from majority owner Berke Bakay. Bakay, the former CEO of Kona Grill, has moved to San Diego and Kraus recently told Arizona Sports that the team wanted a governor who is more present in the Valley. Kraus is a longtime Scottsdale resident and a partner in the investment banking firm Arlington Capital Advisors.
“This is an incredibly exciting time to be joining the Phoenix Rising FC Board of Directors as governor,” Kraus said in a statement. “The decisions we will be making regarding soccer operations, the addition of new investors and expanded facilities will set the course for professional soccer in Arizona for the next several decades.”
