PrizePicks appoints Blizzard Entertainment president as CEO
Mike Ybarra drafted in after more than four years with video game giant as founder Adam Wexler steps up from frontline operations to become company’s executive chair
Mike Ybarra has been appointed PrizePicks CEO, with the DFS operator’s founder and first chief executive Adam Wexler transitioning to become executive chairman.
Arriving from Blizzard Entertainment where he served as president since August 2021, PrizePicks will mark Ybarra’s first move into the world of DFS.
Ybarra originally joined Blizzard – the developer behind hit titles including World of Warcraft, Diablo and Overwatch – as executive vice-president and general manager of platform and technology in November 2019.
In that role, he managed 1,400 employees across several divisions including core tech, gaming social and mobile.
A promotion to president followed in August 2021, with PrizePicks noting that Ybarra was responsible for the firm’s “entire portfolio P&L and growth achievements”.
Prior to Blizzard, Ybarra spent two decades with Microsoft where he held senior executive roles across its Windows and gaming departments.
On becoming PrizePicks’ CEO, Ybarra will also join the company’s board and Wexler heaped praise on his successor while noting he was “unbelievably proud” of the “explosive growth” achieved since launching PrizePicks in 2017.
The company recently went live in its 35th US state – New Hampshire – and boasts more than 10 million community members.
The firm offers pick’em contests in the majority of those 35 states, with its Arena peer-to-peer product live in Florida, Alabama, Arizona and several other states.
PrizePicks also deploys free-to-play games in New York, Michigan and Colorado.
The company claims that more than 70% of the US and Canadian population can currently play PrizePicks games, with fantasy markets across NFL, college football, NBA, MLB and NHL available.
In April, the firm launched a new 33,000 sq ft office in its home city of Atlanta, Georgia, while adding talent in the shape of former Warner Brothers head Renee White as chief people officer and Phil Sherwood as senior director of responsible gaming.
Wexler said: “Attracting someone with Mike’s background is a true testament to our legitimacy and success to date, and it is a great honour to partner with him.
“Mike’s track record of introducing fan favourite games, driving development initiatives and scaling large customer bases will propel us to new heights.”
Jon Hallet, PrizePicks board of managers member, thanked Wexler for his contribution to the organisation over the past seven years and said Ybarra was the right person to take PrizePicks forward.
He said: “On behalf of the entire board, I would like to thank Adam for his tireless contributions as PrizePicks’ founder, building this organisation into one of the leading fan engagement platforms from the ground up.
“Under his tenure, PrizePicks has experienced a period of remarkable growth and enters this transition with an incredible amount of momentum and strength.
“Mike Ybarra is the right leader for the next phase of the company’s journey, and we are pleased that he will be partnering with Adam to unlock future expansion opportunities.”
Ybarra described PrizePicks as the “most exciting company in sports entertainment today” as he thanked Wexler and the board for the opportunity to lead the firm.
He added: “I am impressed with the passion, positive energy and incredible team at PrizePicks and want to thank Adam and the board for this opportunity.
“I have tremendous respect for the foundation that Adam has built and look forward to working with him and the team.”
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.