ASX Expands C-Suite to Boost Offerings, Partnerships Ahead of Series A Funding

New leadership team is headed by former Spotlight Sports Group Chief Revenue Officer, Mike Griffin 

ASX Sports, the only next-generation virtual sports exchange to offer fans live in-game ‘trading’, today unveiled its executive team, positioning the firm to aggressively expand its innovative offerings and partnerships with sports leagues and franchises ahead of its Series A raise, which is expected to close in early 2022.

ASX is creating the first NFTs for sports with listed values that fluctuate in real-time, based on the underlying performance of players and demand in the marketplace. The Miami-based firm recently signed an exclusive agreement with Sky New Zealand and RugbyPass to bring a new generation of fantasy-style gaming to millions of rugby fans worldwide. Beta testing with English Premier League and NCAA Basketball games received overwhelmingly positive responses.

Joining the ASX team, which now numbers 30 employees, are Mike Griffin, Managing Director, Head of Revenue; Thalius Hecksher, Chief Investment Officer; Anthony Puntoriero, President of Business Development, North America; Laughlin Rigby, Chief Marketing Officer; and Ciro Vivacqua, Chief Technology Officer. They will all work closely with ASX President Paddy Power to scale up all aspects of the business and deliver on its growth trajectory.

Paddy Power, President at ASX said: “We now boast the most experienced and innovative leadership team in sports gaming entertainment. Building on our exclusive agreement with RugbyPass, we are poised to expand our partnerships and platform to transform the fan experience and usher in the next generation in fantasy gaming technology and interactivity.”

Mike Griffin has more than 25 years of executive experience in sports, gaming and media. Prior to ASX, he was instrumental in the formation of Spotlight Sports Group (where he also served as Chief Revenue Officer) which transformed the UK and Ireland’s leading sports betting publication the Racing Post into a data and technology company serving millions.

Thalius Hecksher has deep experience in capital introduction and fund management and will be instrumental in both the Series A process and ongoing investor relations. He is the founder of Hecksher Partners, a Miami-based company that invests in and advises innovators in fund management and related growth industries. Earlier in his career, he was global director at Trident Fund Services and Apex Fund Services.

Anthony Puntoriero is an innovator and sports marketing expert. He is the founder of Instant Sponsor, the creator of “Just in Time” branding and sponsorship programs used by major sports leagues around the world.

Laughlin Rigby is a digital marketing and transformation specialist with more than 20 years’ experience. He joins ASX from The Irish Times which he helped establish as the definitive brand for fantasy gaming and paid news and sports content in Ireland.

Ciro Vivacqua is an enterprise architect who brings cloud, big data, blockchain and SOA frameworks expertise to ASX. He has held IT leadership roles at companies in Ireland and Brazil, including the Ergo Group, B2W, Globo.com, Via Varejo and HP.

ASX’s Sports NFT Exchange resembles a virtual stock market and opens the door to a new era in fan engagement, creating a unique second screen and OTT experience in which fans enhance the value of their player portfolios via live, any-time ‘trading’, including in-game, when perceived value might change the most.