Portland Trail Blazers president and CEO Chris McGowan resigned Friday after nine years in the position, effective Nov. 26.
The team announced Dewayne Hankins, the chief commercial officer and executive vice president, will take over as president of business operations.
“We are grateful for Chris’s contributions since joining the Trail Blazers nearly a decade ago,” said Jody Allen, chair of the Trail Blazers. “I appreciate his dedication to the organization and to our fans, and we wish him well in his next chapter.”
McGowan joined the organization in 2012, and the Trail Blazers have made eight straight playoff appearances, advancing as far as the Western Conference semifinals in 2018-19.
This has been a tumultuous week for the franchise. On Saturday, reports emerged that Neil Olshey, the president of basketball operations and general manager, was being investigated for alleged workplace misconduct.
The team confirmed it had hired a noted law firm to investigate a workplace matter but did not identify Olshey as the subject.
The Blazers are off to a 5-7 start on the season under first-year coach Chauncey Billups, who replaced Terry Stotts this offseason.
–Field Level Media