The betting and gaming arm of US sports merchandise and commerce brand, Fanatics, announced today the appointment of Hank Couture as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).
‘Help Build Something that Exceeds Expectations’
The new addition Couture is expected to play an integral role at Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) by developing operations strategies for the firm that is planning to launch the Fanatics Sportsbook across the nation in mid-2023.
Commenting on his new role as COO, Couture outlined the “exciting opportunity” that was presented to him “to build something from the ground up,” eager to leverage his knowledge and experience gained at DoorDash in the sports betting industry to “help build something that exceeds expectations” of Fanatics customers.
Couture, who joined from technology company DoorDash where he spent the past seven years overseeing the company’s US Marketplace and was instrumental in developing its successful pricing, loyalty, promotions, merchandising and growth policies, became a member of the FBG executive team and will report directly to FBG chief executive officer Matt King.
‘Impressive Track Record of Success’
FBG CEO King also commented on the new appointment, excited to welcome Couture to the company’s leadership team and help the business benefit from his experience.
“Hank’s experience in building one of the largest marketplaces in the US is exactly the type of person we are looking for at Fanatics Betting and Gaming, and as our new COO, his impressive track record of success will provide us with valuable insight as we build a sportsbook that is easy to use, trustworthy and more rewarding for sports fans,” he said.
Couture joined DoorDash in 2016 as one of the company’s regional General Managers of US Marketplace and two years later, he started climbing the corporate ladder by assuming the responsibilities of Director, US Marketplace, before being named Senior Director in 2019 and Vice President in 2021, his latest role before joining FBG.
During his time at DoorDash, he helped the e-commerce marketplace grow into a $50 billion industry leader, overseeing critical business lines such as DoorDash’s subscription program, DashPass, and the Caviar marketplace. He was also instrumental in developing the firm’s expansion strategy across the Midwest.
Starting in Investment Banking
Holder of BBA in Finance and Economics from William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, began his professional career on the trading floor of Goldman Sachs in 2013, dealing with cross-asset structured products and over-the-counter derivatives.
The appointment of Couture is the latest high-profile addition to FBG after the appointments of FanDuel veteran Andrew Kleiman as Vice President of Retail Operations and Andrea Ellis as Chief Financial Officer last year.
The launch of the Fanatics Sportsbook was initially expected to materialize in 2022 but was later pushed back to Q1 2023, and in January, the brand made its US debut by launching the first retail sportsbook inside an NFL stadium, FedEx Field, home of the Washington Commanders.