Fanatics has appointed Parag Agrawal to the newly created position of Chief Information Officer as it seeks to optimize its data units.
Reporting directly to EVP and CFO Glenn Schiffman, Agrawal will be charged with leading the sports entertainment firm’s internal digital systems updates and creating an IT infrastructure for the Fanatics corporate entity.
The revamp of the Fanatics IT transformation will include the changing of its accounting, financial planning and analysis, as well as its HR information systems. Meanwhile, the new CIO will also be responsible for partnering with businesses to boost Fanatics’ global IT capabilities.
Schiffman commented: “Building the leading global digital sports platform and delivering more value to our fans and partners requires ongoing investments to our systems to ensure we continue to make timely, data-driven decisions and that our employees have access to the latest technology and tools to make their jobs easier.
“Parag couldn’t be joining at a better time. His experience and expertise are exactly what we need to ensure that we not only enhance our current systems, but continue to adopt cutting-edge solutions moving forward. I am thrilled to welcome him to the team.”
Previously in his career, Agrawal spent nine years at Chobani where he worked his way up to the Chief Information Officer position. Elsewhere he spent time in various leadership positions with companies such as Materne North America, Avon, American Promotional Events, and Metamor Global Solutions.
Agrawal’s arrival comes at a time when Fanatics is seeking to attack the US sports betting space as it works to integrate PointsBet US into its platform.
Fanatics secured PointsBet shareholder approval to go ahead with the $225m takeover after a brief bidding war with DraftKings. The firm has indicated that it aims to be live in up to 15 states by the first NFL matchday of the season.
“Fanatics has done an incredible job innovating the fan and partner experience,” added Agrawal. “I am excited to bring that same energy and mindset to our internal systems and platforms. I look forward to working alongside Glenn and team to ensure a best-in-class experience that continues to allow for us to grow and succeed together as a global organization.”
