FanDuel adds former Obama advisor and ex-NFL head to policy team
Operator secures services of Shailagh Murray and Jonathan Nabavi as company president hails duo the “right leaders” to help responsibly grow the industry
FanDuel has announced the appointment of two new senior additions to its policy and public affairs team in Shailagh Murray and Jonathan Nabavi.
Murray will take on the role of senior VP of public affairs, while Navabi will serve as the operator’s VP of federal affairs.
For Murray, the role marks her first foray into the gambling industry, having most recently served as EVP for public affairs at Colombia University.
Prior to that, Murray worked as part of the Barack Obama administration, initially as deputy chief of staff and communications director to VP Joe Biden for four years, before a two-year stint as senior advisor to President Obama from February 2015 until January 2017.
Murray’s career began in journalism, with her longest spell at one employer coming with The Wall Street Journal, lasting more than 13 years between 1992 and 2005.
That lengthy tenure was followed by a six-year spell as political and congressional correspondent for The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, Nabavi joins FanDuel from the National Football League (NFL), where he has spent the last eight years as the organization’s VP of public policy and government affairs.
His own background also includes government roles, with Nabavi a member of the US House of Representatives for a decade between 2007 and 2017.
FanDuel president Christian Genetski hailed the appointments, stating: “As we look to the future, we understand the important role FanDuel must play in policy discussions that will address how we build and shape the online gaming industry over the long term.
“Shailagh and Jon bring decades of experience navigating difficult policy issues in a thoughtful, collaborative manner.
“We are confident they are the right leaders to work alongside key stakeholders to grow our industry responsibly and sustainably.”
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.