Former World Economic Forum and Twitter exec joins Rivalry's board

Rivalry has appointed former World Economic Forum (WEF) and Twitter executive Kirstine Stewart to its board of directors, announced the sports betting and media company last Friday. 

“Kirstine Stewart is a leading media & technology executive whose extensive global experience will assist the company’s international growth ambitions,” said Rivalry in a press statement. Her election was approved at a recent shareholder meeting, where the company also appointed Stephen Rigby, the most recent President and CEO of Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, to the board of directors, representing a critical step in the company’s journey to becoming “a global player in regulated online sports betting.”

Over her career, Stewart has held a series of executive positions both in Canada and the US, working at the intersection of media and technology. She headed up programming at top cable channels such as Hallmark, HGTV, The Food Network and National Geographic before becoming Head of Canada’s national broadcaster, the CBC. 

The executive then transitioned to VP of North American Media at Twitter in New York, where she led teams across the US driving partnerships in News, Entertainment, Government and Sports. Her most recent role was Head of the Future of Media at the World Economic Forum.

At the WEF, she worked with the CEOs and Chairs of companies such as Bytedance, Facebook, NBCU and Google. Kirstine Stewart is currently the CRO of Pex, an innovative digital rights technology company that is backed by Tencent and other leading global investors.

"Kirstine’s background reads like the DNA of Rivalry,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. “She has extensive experience in media, specifically at Twitter, which innovated what content and brands look like on the internet.” The CEO further highlights Stewart’s participation at WEF, “a caliber of global experience that aligns with our ambitious expansion plans at Rivalry.”

"I’m confident this significant knowledge and category understanding will enable us to further execute on our vision to provide the safest and most engaging sports betting and sports media experience in the world for the next generation of fans,” he added.

Kirstine Stewart has also served on several public, private and nonprofit boards including TheScore, WOW and Ryerson University’s tech incubator DMZ. She currently sits as a founding member of the Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism hosted by MaRS, the CAMH Foundation Board and the Prosperity Project focused on the socio-economic post-pandemic recovery of women in the workforce.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the Board of such an innovative team in the sports betting industry,” she commented on the new appointment. “Rivalry’s media and betting strategy is creating something unique for the next generation of sports bettors, and I am excited to see us continue to grow and evolve alongside this fast-paced industry.”

As part of this plan to further grow as a global player, the esports betting operator recently went public in Toronto, with its shares now trading on Canada’s TSX Venture Exchange. The move is expected to allow Rivalry to continue pursuing markets and verticals outside of its initial esports-first offering.

By having gone public, Rivalry expects to add more capital to its operations, and is now eyeing new opportunities as Canada has legalized single-event sports betting. It also expects to launch sports betting in Australia in Q4 2021.