Michele Kang becomes first woman to win WFS best executive award

Michele Kang will make history on Sept. 15 as the first woman to receive the World Football Summit’s award for best executive.

The U.S. businesswoman and investor is being recognized for her work in women’s football. Kang serves as president of Olympique Lyonnais and has built a growing role in the sport since joining the ownership group of the Washington Spirit in 2020. She became the club’s majority shareholder in 2022.

The following year, she reached an agreement with OL Groupe to bring the French club’s women’s team, now OL Lyonnes, into an independent entity under her majority ownership. The World Football Summit said its annual awards honor professionals and organizers whose work is “transforming” football.

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“Receiving this recognition for my work in football, and being the first woman to receive it, has special meaning. I hope it also reflects the growing role of women in football leadership at all levels,” Kang said.

Kang will also appear as a speaker at WFS Madrid 2026, where she will take part in an exclusive conversation about leadership and her vision for football’s future. The summit, marking its 10th anniversary, will take place at Madrid’s Teatro Eslava on Sept. 15 and 16, with more than 150 speakers and 2,500 football industry professionals.

Previous winners include Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in 2025, Bayer 04 Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro in 2024, City Football Group chief executive Ferran Soriano in 2023 and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin in 2021.

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Receiving this recognition for my work in football, and being the first woman to receive it, has special meaning. I hope it also reflects the growing role of women in football leadership at all levels.