Fanatics Appoints Andrew Low Ah Kee as CEO of Fanatics Commerce
Today, Fanatics, a global digital sports platform, announced the appointment of Andrew Low Ah Kee as the next Chief Executive Officer of Fanatics Commerce, effective immediately. Fanatics Commerce is a leading 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, the company’s largest business, 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. Andrew will be based in the company’s Silicon Valley office and report to Michael Rubin, Chairman and CEO of Fanatics.
Andrews brings more than 20 years of wide-ranging expertise creating long-lasting customer experiences, a proven track record around scaling businesses and brands into new markets, leveraging data and customer insights to drive performance and building world-class cultures and teams. He most recently served as President of Opendoor (NASDAQ: OPEN), the leading e-commerce platform for residential real estate transactions. While there, the company more than doubled the number of markets it operated in, added new partners, improved its unit economics and customer experience while becoming a newly public company that grew its revenue run-rate nearly tenfold over 18 months.
“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, utilizing innovation for growth, scaling companies globally, producing strong financial results, building renowned brands and establishing strong teams and internal culture,” said Rubin. “Andrew is the right leader to take our Commerce business to new heights and I am thrilled to have him on the team.”
Prior to Opendoor, Andrew was Chief Operating Officer for GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY), 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. During his time at GoDaddy, Andrew oversaw rapid global expansion to serve customers in nearly every country around the world, the transformation of its brand to be centered on its customers, and the creation of a go-to-market model that enabled new software products to become a core part of GoDaddy’s business. GoDaddy more than quadrupled sales and free cash flow during Andrew’s tenure, where he also played a pivotal role in taking the company public in 2015.
Before joining GoDaddy, Andrew 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.
“Sports have the unique ability to build bridges and connections across otherwise divided lines,” said Low Ah Kee. “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.”
Andrew replaces former Fanatics Commerce CEO Doug Mack who announced his retirement last month. Doug will partner closely with Andrew 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.