Fanatics announced the appointment of Fintech, e-commerce and marketing executives Lydia Jett and Jonathan Mildenhall to its board of directors.

Jett is managing partner and head of global e-commerce and U.S. consumer internet sector investments at SoftBank Investment Advisers (SBIA) while Mildenhall is co-founder and executive chair of TwentyFirstCenturyBrand and former CMO of Airbnb.

Fanatics said both hires play vital roles in amplifying opportunities for Fanatics to scale its businesses worldwide, which currently includes licensed merchandise and e-commerce, trading cards and collectibles, digital collectibles and NFTs, and online sports betting and iGaming.

“Fanatics is in the midst of incredible transformation and the deep expertise and insight that Lydia and Jonathan bring to the board will be vital as we unlock a new digital experience for sports fans globally,” said Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin. “They are both visionaries in their respective fields that will provide invaluable support and guidance as we continue building a revolutionary sports platform.”

  • Jett, a managing partner at SoftBank’s Vision Fund, has nearly twenty years of experience investing in and serving on the boards of technology businesses. Since SoftBank’s initial backing of Fanatics in 2017, when the firm led a more than $1 billion investment round, Jett has spearheaded its innovation across the licensed sports industry and recent expansion beyond merchandise.
  • ­Mildenhall co-founded the TwentyFirstCenturyBrand and is executive chairman. Previously he was the CMO of Airbnb from 2014 to 2018 when the company’s valuation increased from $1 billion to more than $31 billion. Mildenhall’s expertise is in defining company purpose and values, brand strategy and digital transformation, assets that will be invaluable to Fanatics as the company continues to build its brand globally and engage with sports fans.

In addition to Fanatics, both Jett and Mildenhall are members serving on other company boards. Jett has represented SoftBank on the boards of Coupang, Flipkart, GoTo (IDX: GOTO), and Weee! Mildenhall serves on the board of Peloton, Northern Star SPAC and GoFundMe.

Photos courtesy Fanatics