My first proper leadership role was a dynamic mix of Talent Acquisition, HR, and Operations at BetDEX Labs, a start-up Sports Betting Exchange and Liquidity Protocol leveraging blockchain technology to disrupt industry incumbents and empower players.As Head of Talent, I had the rewarding challenge of shaping our people strategy and building a high-performance culture from the ground up. This meant designing scalable hiring processes, creating an environment where employees could thrive, and ensuring our people practices aligned with our mission to innovate and disrupt.We couldn't quite get to product market fit before my time was up but I remain a close supporter of the team.

Part of Flutter Entertainment, FanDuel Group is a Multi-Billion $ sports betting, gaming and entertainment company that pioneered the US Daily Fantasy Sports industry and is now the leader of the emerging US sports betting industry. Joining FanDuel when it was just 30 people was a crash course in scaling a company at incredible speed. As we grew, we faced the challenge of doubling in size every year to support the goals of the business. This intense pace shaped my approach to talent acquisition, team building, and employer branding.I worked closely with leadership and hiring managers to align recruitment plans with business goals, while also focusing on building talent communities and leveraging employer branding to attract top-tier candidates. Creating efficient, candidate-friendly processes was essential, as was fostering a culture where new hires could thrive.At FanDuel, I gained experience in designing scalable hiring systems that could support long-term growth. From refining applicant tracking systems and streamlining interview processes to coaching managers on effective hiring practices, I focused on building systems that solved immediate challenges while preparing for future needs.This experience taught me that successful talent acquisition goes beyond filling roles. It is about building the internal systems, tools, and processes that enable managers to make confident hiring decisions while ensuring the business can attract, engage, and retain top talent to drive success. I'm grateful I got the chance to experience somewhere like FanDue, it was where I developed the skills and mindset to help businesses scale quickly while staying true to their commitment to quality and culture.