PointsBet looks to marketing experience with twin C-level hire

PointsBet has confirmed the hires of Ansley O’Neal and Josh Powell as VP of brand strategy and marketing and director of brand marketing, respectively. O’Neal previously spent more than seven years working for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), firstly as an Olympic programme commission manager before advancing to become a partnership manager concentrating on the IOC’s global partnerships in April 2019. During her time with the IOC, O’Neal worked extensively on a number of high-profile marketing initiatives, including brand campaigns for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and the campaign to re-admit the sport of wrestling back into the Olympic sports programme, as well as initiatives at Tokyo 2020. Prior to that she spent almost five years as a marketing manager for Helios Partners.

In her new role as VP of brand strategy and marketing, O’Neal will oversee the creation and implementation of the brand and marketing strategies from the ground up and will report to PointsBet USA CMO Kyle Christensen. Powell, who will report to O’Neal, will work within the marketing function to design and execute campaigns across the sports betting space. Powell recently spent almost four years with Dublin-based marketing and brand management agency The Tenth Man working as a digital and social director. Before that, he spent a six-year stint with Paddy Power Betfair, directly responsible for much of the bookmaker’s text and audio content including the Paddy Power blog, as well as working with the firm’s social, public relations and mischief teams on a number of high-profile guerrilla marketing stunts. In his final role as head of international brand management, Powell oversaw all of Paddy Power’s regional marketing heads to develop the firm’s marketing strategy across several campaigns, inking partnerships with clubs including Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Speaking about the new hires, PointsBet USA CMO Kyle Christensen highlighted PointsBet’s need to differentiate itself through its marketing strategy. “In an industry that’s marked by outsized promos and ad blitzes, PointsBet is aiming to deviate away from this norm and leverage marketing tactics that work to enhance live sports for fans and bettors while maximizing on the current sports betting boom in the [US],” Christensen said. “We’re thrilled to have Ansley and Josh onboard and tap into their expertise of the industry as we work to further cultivate our brand in the US market,” he added.