Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Braun
Tom, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was an athlete growing up and have loved sports for as long as I can remember. I played baseball at a high level and was fortunate enough to be drafted in the MLB Amateur draft after high school. I instead decided to play Division I baseball at Georgetown University. After college, I decided to hang up my cleats and join the working world in a finance role. As a numbers guy, I enjoyed working in finance but didn’t feel fulfilled in my career. A cross-country move for my then-fiancé’ and now-wife’s job allowed me to look at my career from a different perspective. She’s the one who first encouraged me to explore careers in sports. I decided to make a change. I went to business school and worked as an intern at AEG at 30 years old. It taught me a lot about confidence and belief in myself that my hard work would eventually pay off, and it did.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has not always been smooth for me, just like I don’t think it would be for anyone who is re-starting their career. I experienced the struggle of starting from scratch in a new field and challenging myself to be confident in my ability to work hard and make the right decisions. I was learning in the moment and applying my finance background to a new industry. I am grateful to have found a workplace like AEG, which has always believed in me and allowed me the space and opportunity to grow.
As you know, we’re big fans of LA Galaxy. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The LA Galaxy is the most storied club in Major League Soccer history, with a league-leading six MLS Cup Championships. That alone sets us apart from other clubs in the league, but in my mind, there’s so much more.
The LA Galaxy are perhaps most famous for our ability to attract global superstars, which has set us apart from other MLS teams. In 2007, the Galaxy made international headlines by signing English football legend David Beckham in a groundbreaking deal. Beckham’s move to MLS elevated the profile of the league and helped transform LA Galaxy into a global brand. We remain one of the only global teams in the League.
Since our Beckham days, we’ve had several high-profile players, like Robbie Keane, Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Landon Donovan. In fact, we just announced that we’ll be unveiling a statue in 2026 of club legend Cobi Jones, a U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer who scored the first goal for our franchise in 1996.
I am most proud of how our gameday experience, community efforts, academy, and front office has grown over the past two years.
We have a strategy that we call Fight for the Fan, and our entire club has been part of bringing that strategy to life. The strategy is all about putting the fan experience at the center of what we do. Some ways we’ve delivered on that strategy over the past year include:
• We started Sounds of the Galaxy, a DJ program that brings performances fit for the entertainment capital of the world inside Dignity Health Sports Park each game. During the 2024 season, we had performances from Alesso, Dillon Francis, Afrojack, Warren G., and more.
• 2024 was the second year of our Fan Council. The Fan Council allows our supporters to provide feedback and inform club decision-making. Fans have helped inform renovations to the park and programming or offerings at our games.
• And there’s so much more.
What’s next?
We have a lot of exciting events coming to LA and Dignity Health Sports Park in the next few years. First the FIFA World Cup in 2026, and then the 2028 Olympic Games. The FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles is already creating an exciting buzz around the game of soccer, and as the premier soccer club in America, we hope to welcome many new fans.
Dignity Health Sports Park will be an Olympic venue and host to cycling-track events in the Velodrome, field hockey at the fields adjacent to the stadium, Rugby Sevens in the stadium and tennis in the Tennis Center. The venue is utilized as an Olympic training facility for multiple sports year-round, so we are proud to play host during the 2028 games.
And then of course, there’s our 2025 MLS regular season, where we’ll be working hard to defend our Championship title.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lagalaxy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialtombraun
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-braun-71379929/
