Cardinals announce organizational leadership transition

ST. LOUIS -- At the Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up event this past offseason, longtime chairman and chief executive officer Bill DeWitt Jr. hinted at a plan of succession that would keep ownership within the family.

“Our family, counting my father, has been in baseball a long time. And I think it will continue,” said DeWitt Jr., the club’s principal owner since 1996. “I mean, that’s the plan. Obviously, I’m getting to an age where I’m not going to be around forever. Bill [DeWitt] III is at a perfect age to continue on for a long time.”

In a press conference at Busch Stadium on Wednesday, the Cardinals announced those plans, ushering in new titles for key organizational leaders, including a step back for DeWitt Jr., 84, from his role as CEO.

His son, Bill DeWitt III, 58, will assume the title of CEO, overseeing both baseball and business operations. DeWitt III has served as team president since 2008. DeWitt Jr. will continue in his capacity as principal owner and chairman, noting Wednesday that he “will continue to have involvement in significant baseball and business decisions.”

“My role will be to ensure that everyone is aligned and working together on our common goals,” DeWitt III said. “On the baseball side, we know that there’s still a lot of work ahead, and we’re committed to a plan that will lead to a sustained competitiveness and hopefully a championship. So far this year, we’re off to a great start.

“On the business side, we have significant opportunities ahead of us as we continue to strengthen our connection with fans, navigate changes in the media landscape and continue to push our team to be best in class at everything we do.”

Additionally, Anuk Karunaratne, who has served as the Cardinals’ senior vice president for business operations since joining the organization ahead of the 2024 season, was named president of business operations. Karunaratne arrived with St. Louis from Toronto, where he rose to the Blue Jays' executive vice president of business operations.

Wednesday’s announcement follows Chaim Bloom's appointment to the role of president of baseball operations last September, succeeding John Mozeliak.

“I am clear-eyed about where we are as an organization and what we need to do,” Karunaratne said. “But more than that, I’m incredibly excited about what we’re building toward.”

Under DeWitt Jr.’s leadership, the Cardinals enjoyed two decades marked largely by unprecedented prosperity.

On the field, the accolades include 12 division titles, four National League pennants and two World Series championships.

DeWitt Jr. shepherded development off the field as well. The organization constructed its baseball complex and Spring Training facilities in Jupiter, Fla., Busch Stadium III in downtown St. Louis and the adjacent Ballpark Village development during DeWitt Jr.’s time at the helm.

Under DeWitt Jr.’s guidance, the Cardinals hosted an All-Star Game in 2009, welcomed 3 million-plus fans through the Busch Stadium gates for 16 consecutive seasons (2004-19), and racked up 75 postseason wins.

Though the on-field performance regressed in recent years relative to the height of the Cardinals’ successes in the aughts and early 2010s, DeWitt Jr. has since shown a willingness to innovate.

As Mozeliak’s longstanding tenure as GM and president of baseball operations neared an end, Cardinals leadership identified Bloom as the next chief executive to guide the baseball operations department.

Early returns on that decision have the club trending in a positive direction. Under Bloom’s involvement, the organization has revamped its player development and performance infrastructure, leading to a rapid rise in external farm system rankings.

Over the winter, the Cardinals shed several hefty contracts by trading away veteran players, providing an opportunity for the next corps of talent to emerge in St. Louis. The maneuvers have not only set a foundation for the future, but to this point, they’ve also produced immediate results, with St. Louis entering play Wednesday in control of the top National League Wild Card spot with a 42-35 record.

“Being a part of this community has really reinforced how special it is, and how much the Cardinals mean to people here,” Karunaratne said. “You see it in the way that people talk about this team. You see it in how it shows up in everyday life and how it brings people together.

“It’s really a part of who people are. There’s both a pride and an expectation that comes with that.”