As Part Of Its Hiring Spree, Fanatics Adds Key Red Bull Executives

As part of a hiring spree that has included tech executives and high-profile sports agents, Fanatics Inc. has brought on a key marketing executive from Red Bull as part of its marketing effort.

‍

As part of his new role at Fanatics, Ken Turner has joined the trading card and collectibles division of the company to fill the same position he held previously as chief marketing officer for Red Bull North America. During his tenure at Red Bull, he had been responsible for a large number of marketing operations in that region. 

‍

“As a general rule, the collectibles category, and specifically trading cards, has received very little marketing over the years, if it has ever received any marketing at all,” according to Mike Mahan, the chief executive officer of Fanatics Collectibles, who joined the company last year as its chief executive officer. “As far as our marketing efforts are concerned, we have real ambitions.”

‍

Turner joins a group of executives who have been lured to Fanatics over the past year as the company expands beyond its roots in licensed sports merchandise to include other facets of the sports industry. Currently, Michael Rubin, the CEO of the company, is pushing the operation into new areas, such as sports betting and media, and has been seeking out talent to lead the new initiatives.

‍

Omar Wilkes, who was previously the head of basketball at Rich Paul's talent agency Klutch Sports Group, has recently joined Fanatics as its head of athlete relations, which involves building relationships with athletes, celebrities, agents, and leagues. A new division focused on livestreaming memorabilia commerce for the company, Fanatics Live, was announced earlier this month, led by former Snap Inc. executive Nick Bell.

‍

Management is still looking for a chief commercial officer within the collectibles unit of the company. The company is also looking for candidates to fill positions in e-commerce, technology, financial and legal departments as well.

‍

Since Fanatics Co. picked up the rights to produce trading cards across a variety of sports leagues and acquired Topps Co. in a $500 million transaction last year, collectibles have gotten a great deal of attention.