Stephen Malik is a Welsh-American businessman and sports owner who owns and is chairman of North Carolina FC of United Soccer League and North Carolina Courage of National Women's Soccer League.
26 Facts About Steve Malik
2.
Steve Malik founded and was executive chairman of medical technology company Medfusion, and was a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors from March 2017 to March 2019 and February 2020 to February 2021.
3.
Steve Malik's family moved to Kinston, North Carolina, when Malik was four years old to follow his father's work as a chemical engineer for DuPont.
4.
In 1978, Steve Malik attended Kinston High School and started its soccer team with his friends.
5.
In 1995, Steve Malik moved to North Carolina's Research Triangle with his family.
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Steve Malik took an interest in soccer and began coaching his children's teams in the Capital Area Soccer League.
7.
Steve Malik founded medical technology company Medfusion in Cary, North Carolina in 1996.
8.
Steve Malik re-acquired the company from Intuit in 2013 and became its executive chairman.
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Steve Malik then sold the company again in December 2019 to Irvine, California-based NextGen Healthcare, and funded a spinoff company named Greenlight Health Data Solutions.
10.
Steve Malik sold the company to help continue work on the Downtown South development project.
11.
On October 30,2015, Steve Malik purchased the RailHawks from Traffic Sports.
12.
Steve Malik served at the time on the USSF board of directors.
13.
On January 10,2017, Steve Malik announced the purchase of reigning National Women's Soccer League champions Western New York Flash, based in Rochester, New York, and his intent to relocate the team to Cary and rename it the North Carolina Courage.
14.
The report found that Steve Malik contacted the Thorns, Flash, NWSL, and USSF for information about Riley, but could not receive a detailed report from the Thorns or learn that the team had privately decided to remove Riley due to the allegations.
15.
Steve Malik called Thorns owner Merritt Paulson to ask about Riley's exit and learned of one of the reported incidents, but was told by Paulson that Riley had simply exercised "poor judgment", that no other abuse had been reported, and that Riley was "a good fit for the roster" at Western New York, which Steve Malik was acquiring as part of his purchasing the Courage.
16.
Paulson's texts to Steve Malik contradicted Paulson's statements to the investigation that Paulson had told Steve Malik that the Thorns had terminated Riley's employment.
17.
In September 2021, the league received four complaints of serious misconduct by Riley, and on September 7,2021, Steve Malik texted NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird that Riley had resigned over the league's proposed postseason schedule, which Steve Malik refused to accept.
18.
Baird notified Steve Malik the following day that she had urged Riley not to resign.
19.
On October 6,2021, Steve Malik published an open letter to claim that the Courage were aware of the Thorns' investigation into Riley's alleged misconduct in 2015, but was "subsequently assured he was in good standing".
20.
Steve Malik initiated a bid in December 2016 to bring a MLS team to Raleigh, announced in July 2017 to include a 22,000-seat, $150 million stadium and $2 billion property development project called Downtown South.
21.
When Charlotte FC in neighboring South Carolina submitted its bid for a MLS team in 2019, Steve Malik stated doubts about the franchise's prospects and said it did not preclude his bid for a team in North Carolina.
22.
Steve Malik was elected to a two-year term on the USSF board of directors as part of the Pro Council in March 2017.
23.
Steve Malik ran for re-election but lost to USL CEO Alec Papadakis in March 2019.
24.
Steve Malik returned to the USSF board's Pro Council in February 2020.
25.
In June 2020, Steve Malik lobbied the USSF board to remove a rule prohibiting peaceful protest during the national anthem played or performed before every match.
26.
Steve Malik was replaced on the council by Lisa Baird in 2021 upon her hiring by the league as its new commissioner.