Former USA Swimming Chief Marketing Officer Matt Farrell is now headed to the ice.
Farrell has been named the new Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Figure Skating, leaving his most recent post as CEO of Bat Around, a mixed-reality software and app designed for use in batting cages.
Prior to that. Farrell served for more than 13 years in his role with USA Swimming. He left in 2018 to take a position with the Golf Channel.
Farrell also has served marketing roles with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committees, Warner Brothers Entertainment and NBC Sports/The Golf Channel.
His hiring comes roughly nine months from the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
“It’s clear that Matt brings the expertise and vision needed to lead U.S. Figure Skating through the lead-up to the 2026 Olympics and beyond,” said Sam Auxier, who is stepping down as interim CEO and will resume his role as president. “His proven leadership within the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic movement, combined with his deep knowledge of the sports industry and bold, strategic thinking will help accelerate the sport and the organization into a new era of growth and success. I would like to thank board members Jackie Chang and Tina Lundgren for all of their work co-chairing the CEO search committee that led us here.”
At U.S. Figure Skating, he will be responsible for “building strategies to enhance programming and membership, generate partnership and philanthropic revenue and steward relationships across the national and international sporting communities.”
“I’m incredibly honored to step into this role at such an exciting time for U.S. Figure Skating,” Farrell said. “With a historic Worlds behind us and the 2026 Olympics in Milano Cortina ahead, there’s a fresh sense of momentum and possibility across the sport. In the months to come, I’m eager to collaborate with our amazing athletes, passionate fans and dedicated partners to keep growing the community we all care so deeply about.”
Farrell started his tenure with USA Swimming in 2005, being a major part of promoting the sport in the peak of the Michael Phelps era and leading sponsorship, social media, marketing and PR strategies.
Farrell takes over the permanent role after previous full-time CEO Tracy Marek resigned in October.
He had a tough job and was forced to put lipstick on a pig because USA Swimming was battling the financial malfeasance, insurance fraud and the sexual abuse scandal and coverups caused by Chuck Wiegus and his executives and USA Swimming BOD.
Good luck, Matt.
Deeply curious to hear what swimming folk think of Farrell and whether this is a good choice or any concerns we should keep an eye out for.
Sincerely,
your frozen water friends
He’s shady af and smarmy. His biggest claim in swimming was the #funnestsport campaign, which was an absolute flop. Good luck. Hopefully figure skating has enough bigtime commercial value to thrive in spite of him.
One time, USA Swimming featured me in a 20 Question Tuesday, a series they used to run.
They put it up for a day, and then Matt instructed them to take it down because the publisher of Swimming World Magazine complained about its existence.
I’m presenting facts, not opinions, I’ll let you form opinions from that :-).
Congrats Matt. The good people who hinchey chased away are finding great landing spots.