FanDuel has named Caralyn Cooley as its new chief people officer (CPO).
Cooley will join FanDuel’s executive leadership team and will report directly to CEO Amy Howe.
FanDuel noted in a press release that Cooley, who most recently served as EVP and CPO for U.S. vertical farming company Bowery Farming, has “deep experience scaling global operations, shaping unique cultures and guiding teams through periods of intense growth.”
She will assume leadership of FanDuel’s people organization including overseeing all HR and talent acquisition duties, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, organizational effectiveness, employee branding, training and development, compensation and employee benefits relating to FanDuel’s casino, sportsbook and operations business units.
“I am very excited to welcome Caralyn to FanDuel,” said Howe. “Throughout her distinguished career, Caralyn has held global roles building highly effective people teams that drive performance and reflect the needs of today’s diverse corporate culture. Her energy and passion for sports and the gaming sector made her an ideal fit, and her arrival strengthens our executive leadership team.”
During her tenure at Bowery Farms, the company grew from a proof-of-concept farm with one location to the largest vertical farming company in the U.S. Under her leadership, she built a talent model to scale globally, designed a total compensation strategy for all levels of the company, created a holistic diversity, equity and inclusion program and led Bowery’s business continuity response during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to Bowery, Cooley was CPO at Nordeus from 2017-19, the gaming studio behind the successful mobile sports game Top Eleven. In 2021, less than five years after her arrival, Nordeus was acquired by Take Two Interactive for a reported $378 million.
FanDuel expands problem gambling prevention programs amid Fox talk
Earlier this month, FanDuel launched its new Trusted Voices: Conversations About Betting program in collaboration with EPIC Global Solutions to coincide with September’s Responsible Gaming Education Month.
Trusted Voices is designed to equip trusted adults such as parents, guardians and coaches with tools and resources to talk to young people about gambling, associated risks, how to recognize warning signs and where to go for support. FanDuel has enlisted former NBA player and basketball coach Randy Livingston and his wife, sports agent Anita Smith to serve as ambassadors around the program.
FanDuel has also expanded its relationship with Kindbridge Behavioral Health across all of its U.S. jurisdictions after a successful pilot in New Jersey and Ohio.
Meanwhile, Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch said during the Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference that Fox has begun exploring the potential of activating its option to acquire a 18.6% stake in FanDuel. Fox is reportedly hoping to do so for around $4.3 billion, which would represent a marked drop from its open market value.
FanDuel is valued at $35 billion, per Goldman Sachs analysts.
