Blizzard Vet Mike Ybarra Named PrizePicks CEO
North American daily fantasy sports operator PrizePicks has appointed Mike Ybarra, former President of Blizzard Entertainment, as its Chief Executive Officer.
Before PrizePicks, Ybarra held leadership positions at Blizzard, and Microsoft, within the Windows and Xbox divisions.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Ybarra is an industry veteran with over 25 years of experience acquired while working in leadership and operational roles at various leading technology and gaming companies. Until recently, he served as the President of Blizzard Entertainment, where he oversaw the entire product portfolio and delivered significant P&L growth.
Before Blizzard, Ybarra spent nearly two decades at Microsoft in senior roles within the Windows and Xbox divisions.
I am impressed with the passion, positive energy and incredible team at PrizePicks and want to thank Adam and the Board for this opportunity. PrizePicks is the most exciting company in sports entertainment today, and it’s an honor to join as CEO. I have tremendous respect for the foundation that Adam has built and look forward to working with him and the team.
Wrexler Becomes Executive Chairman
Effective immediately, Ybarra will assume the role of CEO and join PrizePicks’ Board of Directors. He succeeds Adam Wrexler, the company’s Founder and outgoing CEO, who will now serve as Executive Chairman.
I am unbelievably proud of what we have built at PrizePicks. Through our culture of constant innovation and having a player-first mindset, PrizePicks has achieved explosive growth. Attracting someone with Mike’s background is a true testament to our legitimacy and success to date, and it is a great honor to partner with him. Mike’s track record of introducing fan favorite games, driving development initiatives and scaling large customer bases will propel us to new heights.
More Business News
Board Thanks Wraxler for His Vision
Wrexler founded PrizePicks in 2017, and under his leadership, the company navigated from a startup to a leading daily fantasy sports provider in North America. The company boasts a profitable business model with over 10 million community members and billions of dollars in awarded winnings.
On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank Adam for his tireless contributions as PrizePicks’ Founder, building this organization 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.
Earlier this year, PrizePicks boosted its leadership team with the appointment of two new executives to head its HR and responsible gambling departments. Renee White was named as the new Chief People Officer, while Phil Sherwood was appointed the Senior Director of Responsible Gaming.
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