Sports data and technology firm Genius Sports has named Mark Kropf as its new Chief Technology Officer at a time of increased AI adoption across sports.
Kropf has been tasked with taking the firm’s AI capabilities forward, leaning on his experience of similar endeavours at Google – one of the world’s biggest tech companies and a leader in artificial intelligence development. Kroph first joined Google in January 2020, working as Technical Director within Google’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer.
GeniusIQ, its sports data and AI platform leveraging machine learning and Generative AI (GenAI) for game analysis and immersive experiences, is one of its flagship AI products. To support further development of these solutions, Kropf will aim to put his experience in financial services, information technology and cybersecurity to the role.
“Genius Sports’ technology is redefining how sports are understood and consumed globally,” Kropf remarked.
“I look forward to supporting this continued growth and working with a remarkable team that has already positioned Genius Sports at the forefront of data and technology innovation in sport.”
Genius is a prominent company in global sportstech and data, having signed partnerships with major international leagues and organisations including the US’ NFL, NBA, MLB and the English Premier League.
Its arrangement with the Premier League has taken on increased importance over the past year, collecting data for in-play betting and content whilst also recently partnering with the league to upgrade its Visual Assist Reverse (VAR) technology. AI will likely make a significant contribution to both over the coming years.
Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Mark Kropf as our Group CTO. His outstanding track record of technology leadership at both Google and Pivotal, combined with his deep experience in AI-focused innovation, will play a critical role in our future.
“Our cutting-edge GeniusIQ platform is already driving the AI revolution in the global sports ecosystem and Mark’s expertise will play a key role in amplifying and accelerating that transformation.”
