Skillz Hires Airbnb Executive Ian Lee as CFO

Rhea-AI Summary

Skillz (NYSE: SKLZ) has appointed Ian Lee as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective June 21, 2021. Lee joins from Airbnb, where he played a pivotal role in its $4 billion IPO in December 2020. His experience spans various prestigious tech companies, including Atlassian and Trulia, contributing to their public offerings. Skillz CEO Andrew Paradise emphasizes the benefit of Lee's extensive finance and investor relations background as the company aims to enhance its growth trajectory in the competitive mobile gaming market.

Positive

• Ian Lee's extensive experience in finance and investor relations may strengthen Skillz's financial strategy.
• Lee's successful IPO background could enhance investor confidence during Skillz's transition in the public market.

Negative

• Potential concerns regarding continuity and experience gaps in the financial leadership following a management change.

Skillz (NYSE: SKLZ), the leading mobile games platform connecting players around the world in fair, fun, and meaningful competition, announced today that veteran finance and investor relations executive Ian Lee has been hired as the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Lee will join the company on June 21, 2021 from Airbnb, where he served as Head of Investor Relations and was on the core deal team for the company’s successful 2020 IPO.

"With an outstanding track record of leading corporate finance and investor relations at some of the industry’s most respected technology companies, Skillz will benefit greatly from Ian’s leadership, business acumen, and proven ability to guide the transition from pre-IPO to life as a publicly held company,” said Skillz CEO and founder Andrew Paradise. “We’re fortunate to have Ian join our leadership team to continue building on that success and realize our promising outlook and growth trajectory.”

As CFO, Lee will report directly to Paradise and oversee the company’s finance functions, including accounting, investor relations, FP&A, tax, corporate development, and strategy.

Formerly Head of Investor Relations of Airbnb, Lee was a key member of the company’s IPO preparation team, culminating in Airbnb’s successful $4 billion offering in December 2020 to its current $100 billion market cap. He has also led investor relations as a senior finance executive at other world-class technology firms, including Atlassian and Trulia, both of which he helped take public; as well as holding IR leadership roles at Hewlett-Packard and Omnicom Group.

Lee holds an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Communication Studies from the Auckland University of Technology.

About Skillz Inc.

Skillz is the leading mobile games platform that connects players around the world in fair, fun, and meaningful competition. The Skillz marketplace expands the gaming ecosystem, helping developers share their art with the world and build multi-million dollar franchises by enabling social competition in their games. Leveraging its patented technology, Skillz hosts billions of casual esports tournaments for 30 million mobile players worldwide and distributes millions in prizes each month. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by leading venture capitalists, media companies, and professional sports leagues and franchises. Skillz has earned recognition as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC’s Disruptor 50, Forbes’ Next Billion-Dollar Startups, and the #1 fastest-growing company in America on the Inc. 5000. www.skillz.com

Source: Skillz Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210504006341/en/

FAQ

Who is the new CFO of Skillz announced in the press release?

The new CFO of Skillz is Ian Lee, who will assume the role on June 21, 2021.

What was Ian Lee's role prior to joining Skillz?

Ian Lee was the Head of Investor Relations at Airbnb and was involved in its successful IPO.

What expertise does Ian Lee bring to Skillz as CFO?

Ian Lee has extensive experience in corporate finance and investor relations from leading tech companies and has successfully managed IPO processes.

What is the significance of Ian Lee's appointment for Skillz's future?

Lee's appointment could provide strategic financial leadership that supports Skillz's growth and enhances investor relations.

When will Ian Lee officially start at Skillz?

Ian Lee will officially start as CFO on June 21, 2021.