PrizePicks appoints former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra as CEO

Daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator PrizePicks has appointed Mike Ybarra, former President of Blizzard Entertainment, as the company's Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Ybarra will join the Board of PrizePicks and succeeds Adam Wexler, PrizePicks' Founder and CEO, who will be transitioning to the role of Executive Chairman.

"I am unbelievably proud of what we have built at PrizePicks. Through our culture of constant innovation and having a player-first mindset, PrizePicks has achieved explosive growth," Wexler said.

"Attracting someone with Mike's background is a true testament to our legitimacy and success to date, and it is a great honor to partner with him. Mike's track record of introducing fan-favorite games, driving development initiatives and scaling large customer bases will propel us to new heights."

Since founding PrizePicks in 2017, Wexler has led the company's transformation from a nascent startup into a leading daily fantasy sports company in North America, boasting what the operator describes as "a profitable, rapidly growing business model."

"With over 10 million community members and billions of dollars in awarded winnings, PrizePicks has made daily fantasy sports accessible to all and has grown tremendously under Wexler's leadership," the company said in a statement.

"On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank Adam for his tireless contributions as PrizePicks' Founder, building this organization into one of the leading fan engagement platforms from the ground up," said Jon Hallett, member of PrizePicks' Board of Managers.

"Under his tenure, PrizePicks has experienced a period of remarkable growth and enters this transition with an incredible amount of momentum and strength. Mike Ybarra is the right leader for the next phase of the company's journey, and we are pleased that he will be partnering with Adam to unlock future expansion opportunities."

Ybarra brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in technology and gaming at public companies. Most recently, he served as President of Blizzard Entertainment where he was responsible for the entire portfolio P&L and growth achievements. Prior to Blizzard Entertainment, Ybarra spent nearly 20 years at Microsoft as a Corporate Vice President in leadership roles within the Windows and Xbox divisions.

"I am impressed with the passion, positive energy and incredible team at PrizePicks and want to thank Adam and the Board for this opportunity. PrizePicks is the most exciting company in sports entertainment today, and it's an honor to join as CEO. I have tremendous respect for the foundation that Adam has built and look forward to working with him and the team," Ybarra said.

In April, the company appointed Renee White as its Chief People Officer (CPO) and Phil Sherwood as Senior Director of Responsible Gaming.