Kristi Coleman – President, Carolina Panthers
9th NFL Season // 9th Panthers Season
As one of the highest-ranking women in the NFL, Kristi Coleman is responsible for leading the Carolina Panthers’ business operations and works closely with the team’s football operations, helping to ensure the alignment of organizational priorities and initiatives. Coleman is in her ninth season with the Panthers and her first as team president following her appointment to the position by team owner David Tepper on Feb. 1, 2022.
Prior to her promotion, Coleman served as vice president and chief financial officer of Tepper Sports and Entertainment (TSE) – the organization founded by Tepper that includes the Panthers, Major League Soccer’s Charlotte Football Club and Bank of America Stadium – for three years (2019-21). As CFO, Coleman oversaw the financial functions for all of TSE, including budgeting, financial reporting, auditing, and risk management. In addition, Coleman was responsible for the management of the Panthers finance, business strategy and analytics, and human resources departments. Her responsibilities with the Panthers also included all NFL and Collective Bargaining Agreement financial reporting.
Coleman originally joined the Panthers in 2014 as controller before being promoted to director of finance in 2016. Prior to her appointment as CFO of TSE in 2019, Coleman led the due diligence process for the largest sale in NFL history at the time when Jerry Richardson, the original founder and owner of the Panthers, sold the team to Tepper in 2018.
Coleman began her professional career with the public accounting firm Deloitte, serving as audit manager before joining the Panthers. At Deloitte, the Panthers organization was one of her clients.
Coleman, who grew up near Lake Hartwell, S.C., graduated summa cum laude from Clemson University with a degree in accounting. She also holds a master’s degree in professional accountancy from Clemson and is a certified public accountant.
In 2020, the Charlotte Business Journal recognized Coleman as a “Forty Under 40” award winner. She is on the board of trustees for the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation and serves on the finance committee of Girls on the Run, a national non-profit organization that designs programming to develop and strengthen social, emotional, physical, and behavioral skills to help young girls successfully navigate life experiences.
Coleman and her husband, Wade, have two sons: Thomas and Charlie.