PrizePicks announces executive appointments
The company has named Marcus Sanford as chief financial officer and Ari Koteles as chief business officer.
US.- The daily fantasy sports operator PrizePicks has announced the appointment of Marcus Sanford as the company’s new chief financial officer (CFO). Ari Koteles, who had served as PrizePicks’ CFO since 2021, has been named to the newly created role of chief business officer.
Sanford has over 20 years of strategic planning, accounting, treasury, financial management, and operational experience. Most recently, he was CFO of Blizzard Entertainment, where he oversaw finance and operations teams while serving as Deputy CFO to the parent company Activision Blizzard. Before that, he spent over a decade as a senior finance leader at Activision Blizzard leading corporate finance teams. Before, Sanford held roles at Vivendi Universal Games.
As chief business officer (CBO), Koteles will be responsible for aligning business strategies with market opportunities, overseeing business development, managing partnerships, and ensuring the integration of business functions to drive growth and profitability.
PrizePicks CEO Mike Ybarra said: “Since joining PrizePicks, I have been impressed by the exceptional talent and capabilities of our team. As we continue to scale our business, we see an opportunity to better harness our strengths and exceed player expectations with continued innovation and a renewed focus. Prior to joining PrizePicks, I worked closely with Marcus over the last 6 years scaling a multibillion-dollar gaming business, and I know that he will accelerate our growth ambitions.
“There are exponentially more growth opportunities ahead of us and I’m thrilled to have Ari Koteles transition from CFO into the newly formed role of chief business officer. The creation of this role will ensure that we are exceeding player expectations with differentiated and unique product offerings.”
See also: PrizePicks receives operating licence in New Hampshire
Marcus Sanford commented: “I am thrilled to join Mike and the talented team at PrizePicks. The company’s relentless commitment to innovation and focus on delivering the best, most differentiated products to players uniquely positions PrizePicks for accelerated growth.”
Ari Koteles said: “Over the last 4 years, I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the most dedicated and passionate people in the industry. PrizePicks has a long history of leading product innovation in the DFS space and I look forward to further accelerating our growth as we explore new ways to expand our reach and engage with sports fans across the country.”
Recently, PrizePicks signed up comedian and actor Drew “Druski” Desbordes as a brand ambassador. The deal covers online content, co-branded merchandise, national advertising campaigns and engagements. Desbordes will participate in events such as the PrizePicks World Championship and social media takeovers on select football Sundays.
