Fanatics Inc. has hired a new chief executive officer for its biggest business unit as it beefs up management across divisions and sets the stage to go public.
(Bloomberg) — Fanatics Inc. has hired a new chief executive officer for its biggest business unit as it beefs up management across divisions and sets the stage to go public.
Andrew Low Ah Kee will start as CEO of Fanatics Commerce, the company’s merchandising arm, effective immediately, in a move set to be announced Tuesday. He previously held senior roles at publicly traded tech companies Opendoor Technologies Inc. and GoDaddy Inc.
Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin has previously indicated that he’s looking to take Fanatics public in the coming years and planned for a management transition atop the merchandise division ahead of an initial public offering.
“With the transformations he brought to Opendoor and GoDaddy, I am confident that Andrew is the right leader to take our Commerce business to new heights,” Rubin said in a statement.
Rubin has spent the past few years adding business units to Fanatics, expanding from its original focus on licensed sports apparel to the collectibles, gambling and events sectors. He has been on a hiring spree throughout that process, most recently adding former Nike Inc. executive Eli Kumekpor to lead its Mitchell & Ness throwback-clothing brand.
Doug Mack, who has led the company’s sizable fan-gear operation for nearly a decade, is set to retire at the end of the year and retain an advisory role.
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