Fanatics, Inc., the online retailer of officially licensed sports merchandise, announced that Doug Mack has been named chief executive officer and a member of the company’s board of directors, effective April 21. Mack, who formerly ran CEO of One Kings Lane, replaces Fanatics founder Alan Trager, who is retiring as CEO nearly two decades after transforming a single Jacksonville mall retail store into a billion-dollar sports e-commerce company.
As CEO of One Kings Lane, Mack helped create one of the most exciting online brands today, growing the company into the ultimate online shopping resource for home design and lifestyle inspiration.
“I’m grateful to Alan for being an incredible partner and friend and for building such a strong customer-centric foundation for Fanatics,” said Michael Rubin, executive chairman of Fanatics. “I’ve known Doug for more than a decade and can’t think of anyone better suited to lead the company’s next phase of growth. He brings the technology, marketing and customer-experience expertise to build Fanatics into a global multi-billion dollar enterprise.”
Mack brings 15 years of e-commerce experience with both B2C and B2B companies to Fanatics and will provide leadership for both the consumer and partner sides of the company, which sells hundreds of thousands of officially licensed items through its own sites, such as Fanatics.com, while also powering an industry-leading roster of e-stores for major professional sports leagues, organizations and teams and more than 150 colleges and sports media companies.
“As a life-long sports fan, I never imagined that I would have the chance to combine my personal love of sports with my passion for building great Internet companies, making Fanatics a dream opportunity,” said Mack. “By investing in and innovating every aspect of the customer experience, we will continue to revolutionize the way fans buy team gear. I’m extremely excited about the team that Alan and Michael have built and the incredible opportunity that lies ahead for Fanatics.”
An experienced consumer e-commerce executive, Mack was CEO and co-founder of Scene7, the leading rich-media platform for e-commerce, which has powered websites for more than 600 global retailers and partners, including Nike, QVC, Amazon, Home Depot and GSI Commerce. After completing the sale of Scene7 to Adobe, Mack joined the Adobe executive team before becoming CEO of One Kings Lane. A Boston College graduate, Mack was also a consultant with McKinsey & Company and began his career with General Electric.
Trager will remain a member of the Fanatics board of directors and work closely with Mack in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.
Fanatics is a leading online retailer of officially licensed sports merchandise and provides the ultimate shopping experience to sports fans. As a Top 50 Internet Retailer Company, Fanatics comprises the broadest online assortment offering hundreds of thousands of officially licensed items via its Fanatics (http://www.fanatics.com) and FansEdge (http://www.fansedge.com) brands. In addition, the company powers the e-commerce sites of all major professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, PGA), major media brands (NBC Sports, CBS Sports, FOX Sports) and e-stores for over 150 collegiate and professional team properties.
