Jeff Berding

Jeff Berding (born February 8, 1967) is an American sports executive and politician. He serves as co-chief executive officer of FC Cincinnati, a professional soccer team he co-founded in 2015. He is also a Democratic politician, having served on the Cincinnati City Council from 2005 to 2011. From 1996 to 2015, he worked as an executive for the Cincinnati Bengals. Berding is currently serving as board chair of the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau. Early life Jeff Berding grew up in the Westwood neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, with nine siblings. Berding became interested in sports at an early age and played basketball, baseball, and soccer in school. He graduated from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati in 1985 and attended Miami University. He received his MBA from Xavier University. Sports career Cincinnati Bengals (1996–2015) Berding was an executive with the Cincinnati Bengals for 19 years, starting in 1996 after working on a sales tax initiative that would fund construction of Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park. He quit his position as Director of Sales & Public Affairs in July 2015 to found the new soccer club FC Cincinnati.