Betting company Smarkets has hired Sheldon Hanai as a new General Manager to run its US operations.
Hanai comes to the role at a time when the group has significant US expansion in its sites. His remit will be to oversee that growth.
Smarkets currently operates an online sportsbook – SBK – live in Colorado and is due to go live in both Indiana and Iowa in the coming months.
Hanai has spent six years at Nike, where he rose to the role of Head of Global Innovation Finance, a position qualifying him as a senior director at the world-famous sports brand.
Prior to Nike, he worked at the United States Department of Defense, Google and BP. He has also been a significant investor at Smarkets for 13 years.
He struck a sanguine note when discussing the new role, commenting: “I’m delighted to be joining Smarkets, a company that I have followed since the very beginning of its journey and seen blossom into one of the world’s leading sports betting companies.
“I can’t wait to get stuck into realizing SBK’s potential in the US where our industry-leading odds can make a huge impact.”
Smarkets’ management returned the sentiment, with CEO and Founder Jason Trost adding: “I’m super excited about Sheldon joining us to head up our push into the US. We have looked far and wide for the right candidate for what is an absolutely crucial role as we expand our footprint in the States.
“Sheldon was the outstanding choice and I couldn’t be more pleased that he’s joining us.”
Smarkets was founded in 2008. While headquartered in London, it has offices in both Los Angeles and Malta. Established by finance and technology experts, among its major products are both a betting exchange and a sophisticated odds platform. It handles millions of dollars in transactions annually.
In performing his new role, Hanai will be located on the East Coast.
