Fanatics hired Andrew Low Ah Kee as CEO of Fanatics Commerce, effective immediately. Fanatics Commerce is the designing, manufacturing, and selling side of the Fanatics licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and non-apparel hardgoods business.
Over the past decade-plus, Fanatics Commerce, the company’s largest business, has reportedly “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.”
Low Ah Kee will work from the Fanatic’s Silicon Valley office, reporting to company Chairman and CEO Michael Rubin.
Low Ah Kee brings over 20 years of wide-ranging expertise in creating long-lasting customer experiences, a track record scaling businesses and brands into new markets, leveraging data and customer insights to drive business performance, and building cultures and teams. Most recently, he was the president of Opendoor, the e-commerce platform for residential real estate transactions. While there, the company reported it “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.”
Before Opendoor, Low Ah Kee was COO for GoDaddy, instrumental in the company’s transformation from a U.S.-centric seller of domain names to a global provider of software for small businesses. While there, he reportedly oversaw “rapid global expansion to serve customers in nearly every country worldwide, the transformation of its brand to be centered on its customers and creating a go-to-market model that enabled new software products to become a core part of GoDaddy’s business.”
GoDaddy reported it “more than quadrupled sales and free cash flow” during Low Ah Kee’s tenure, where he also “played a pivotal role in taking the company public in 2015.”
Before joining GoDaddy, Law Ah Kee held roles at KKR Capstone, working closely with GoDaddy, among other consumer and technology investments, and the Boston Consulting Group.
“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.”
Law Ah Kee replaces former Fanatics Commerce CEO Doug Mack, who announced his retirement last month. Mack will reportedly partner closely with Law Ah Kee through the rest of 2023 to ensure a smooth transition, and continue working as a special advisor to Rubin and Fanatics.
