FanDuel Group has promoted Christian Genetski into the role of President, while Mike Raffensperger has been appointed into the newly created position of Chief Commercial Officer, effective immediately.
Reporting to CEO Amy Howe, both Genetski and Raffensperger continue their tenures with FanDuel, with their promotions providing the company with leadership continuity as they look to keep growing.
“It cannot be overstated how seminal both Christian and Mike have been to not only the success of FanDuel but to the industry more broadly,” commented Howe on the new appointments.
“Each has helped nurture and evolve FanDuel from an innovative upstart to the dominant market leader in sports betting and i-gaming. I am delighted to expand their roles as we continue into the future.”
As President, Genetski will oversee FanDuel’s business development, partnership, corporate strategy, and government affairs units. He will also be responsible for driving the firm’s vision and execution of strategic partnerships and new business initiatives to extend the company’s leadership position.
Previously FanDuel’s Chief Legal Officer, Genetski played a key role in working with legislators, regulators, and industry counterparts to help unlock sports betting across the US following the repeal of PASPA.
He also helped build the regulatory framework for operators to follow in DFS, as well as promote mobile sports wagering, and FanDuel itself through market access partnerships with professional sports franchises and leagues such as the NFL, NBA, NHL, and the PGA Tour.
Howe noted: “Keeping Christian’s deep institutional knowledge within FanDuel was critically important to me. In his expanded role, Christian’s expert voice will impact decisions that are vital to creating a sustainable long-term business, while providing critical continuity for FanDuel to thrive in the future.”
In the newly created position of CCO, Raffensperger will oversee revenue generation across FanDuel’s sportsbook, casino, racing, daily fantasy, and free-to-play platforms. His new duties include commercial leadership and oversight of the operator’s content and programming assets, including the company’s cable network TVG.
Previously FanDuel’s Chief Marketing Officer, Raffensperger will steer the firm’s marketing units and now its commercial units, forming a more cohesive structure for the company’s success in the future.
As CMO, he helped fuel FanDuel’s growth with an agile customer acquisition strategy, a disciplined approach to media, and an eye for popular talent such as Pat McAfee. He also helped the company make headways in responsible gambling, signing Craig Carton as its first Responsible Gaming Ambassador.
“Similarly, Mike’s leadership of our revenue producing commercial units and marketing is a structure we believe best positions us for growth and reflects how important his performance has been to our success,” Howe added.
At the recent SBC Summit North America, Howe noted during her keynote that she wants to see more diversity in sports betting, as she believes the industry can do more to encourage more women to wager on sports.
