Exclusive: Underdog bolsters engineering team with ex-DraftKings heads
Jon Nguyen and Manu Bhalla link up with the operator with a combined 15 years’ experience at the Boston-based giant as Underdog plots sports betting gains
Underdog has further strengthened its senior team with the appointment of two former DraftKings heads in its engineering division, EGR North America can exclusively report.
Jon Nguyen and Manu Bhalla have moved to the DFS and online sports betting firm as it continues to push forward with its talent grab.
Nguyen joins the company as a senior director of engineering from sweepstakes operator Fliff where he also held the same role.
The exec previously spent almost seven years with DraftKings between July 2014 and April 2021, rising up the ranks from software engineer to director of engineering for casino.
In his new role with Underdog, Nguyen will oversee the development of the operator’s “next generation” player account management platform.
Speaking on his move to Underdog, Nguyen said: “I was lucky to go on an amazing ride at DraftKings, and it is clear Underdog is growing faster, and with even more potential.
“Coming here was an easy decision, as I’ve seen what opportunities for company growth looks like through my prior role, and when I saw the trajectory Underdog was on it was an obvious choice.”
Bhalla, who will serve as senior director of engineering for sportsbook, returns to the sector after a spell with South Carolina-based healthcare software company Sunny.
Bhalla counts more than eight years with DraftKings on his CV, having joined as a senior software engineer in March 2015 from Intel.
He proceeded to become a technical lead in January 2016, before being named a senior software engineering manager in July 2018. Then, in February 2022, he was promoted to director of engineering for sportsbook and casino client apps.
Bhalla left DraftKings in September 2023.
With Underdog, Bhalla will be responsible for scaling the teams, platform, and expanding into new sports betting states.
Underdog Sports made its first foray into online sports betting in March as it made its debut in North Carolina.
The operator went on to launch a Tinder-style swipe UX for prop bets in the Tar Heel State and is now targeting further expansion across the US.
Bhalla said: “What drew me to Underdog is the ability to build, build fast, and the relentless focus on product innovation, all pointing towards creating games that make sports more fun for fans.”
Touching on the dual hire and the expanding Underdog team, CEO Jeremy Levine added: “We started this company with a core belief: there is simply so much more to be built for sports fans.
“And from inception we’ve prioritized product innovation – with velocity. Our engineering culture and talent, led by amazingly talented and experienced leaders like Manu and Jon are prime reasons we continue growing with speed and scale.
“There’s so much more we can create and we’re building faster and faster every day.”
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.