Fanatics appoints new commerce CEO

Digital sports platform Fanatics has announced the appointment of Andrew Low Ah Kee as the next chief executive officer of Fanatics Commerce, effective immediately. Low Ah Kee replaces former Fanatics Commerce CEO Doug Mack who announced his retirement last month. Fanatics Commerce is a designer, manufacturer, and seller of licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and non-apparel hardgoods. Over the past decade-plus, Fanatics Commerce has transformed from a domestic e-commerce company into a global omnichannel business with its own real-time, on-demand manufacturing capabilities to create “better speed to market and selection of products for fans, partners and retailers worldwide”. Low Ah Kee will be based in the company’s Silicon Valley office and report to Michael Rubin, chairman and CEO of Fanatics. Fanatics said Low Ah Kee brings more than 20 years of expertise creating “long-lasting” customer experiences, “a proven track record” around scaling businesses and brands into new markets and leveraging data and customer insights to “drive performance and build world-class cultures and teams”. He most recently served as president of Opendoor, the e-commerce platform for residential real estate transactions. Prior to Opendoor, Low Ah Kee was chief operating officer for GoDaddy, where he was instrumental in the company’s transformation from a US-centric seller of domain names to a global provider of software for small businesses. Before joining GoDaddy, he held roles at KKR Capstone, where he worked closely with GoDaddy amongst other consumer and technology investments, and the Boston Consulting Group. He received his BASc degree in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto and his MBA from Harvard Business School. Mack will partner closely with Low Ah Kee throughout the rest of the year to ensure a smooth transition, and he will continue to serve as a special advisor to Rubin and Fanatics in the future. Low Ah Kee said: “Sports have the unique ability to build bridges and connections across otherwise divided lines. “In joining Fanatics, I have the incredible opportunity to connect my love for sports with my passion for building brands and taking an athlete’s pursuit of excellence to everything that we do – customer experience, product quality and innovation, and our culture – all with the goal of delivering increased value to our fans and partners. I am excited to join Michael and this world-class team in leading Fanatics Commerce into its next chapter.” Rubin added: “As we focus on further building our Commerce business and doubling down on creating the best overall fan experience, we were looking for a proven executive who is obsessed with creating elite customer experiences, utilising innovation for growth, scaling companies globally, producing strong financial results, building renowned brands and establishing strong teams and internal culture. Andrew is the right leader to take our Commerce business to new heights and I am thrilled to have him on the team.”