North America's leading online gaming company FanDuel has announced the appointment of Caralyn Cooley as the new Chief People Officer (CPO).
Cooley will join FanDuel's Executive Leadership Team (ELT), reporting to CEO Amy Howe. As Chief Product Officer, Cooley will be responsible for accelerating FanDuel's talent strategy to reflect the company's extraordinary growth trajectory.
Cooley joins FanDuel as an experienced CPO, with extensive experience in expanding global business, shaping unique cultures, and guiding teams through periods of rapid growth. She will lead FanDuel's human resources organization, including HR, talent acquisition, diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), organizational effectiveness, employer branding, training, learning and development, compensation, and employee benefits, serving the company's casino, sports, and operations business units.
FanDuel CEO Amy Howe said: "I am thrilled to welcome Caralyn to FanDuel. Throughout her distinguished career, Caralyn has held global positions, built efficient talent teams, driven performance, and reflected the needs of today's diverse corporate culture. Her passion and energy for the sports and gaming industry make her an ideal candidate, and her arrival strengthens our executive leadership team."
Cooley most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Bowery Farming, a US vertical farming company that designs and builds smart indoor environments to reimagine the future of food. Bowery's pesticide-free produce has been on the market since 2016 and is sold in thousands of retail stores and on e-commerce platforms like Amazon. During her tenure, Bowery grew from a single factory proof-of-concept farm to become the largest vertical farming company in the US. Under her leadership, she established a globally scalable talent model, designed comprehensive compensation strategies for all levels of the company, created comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and led Bowery's business continuity response during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to joining Bowery, Cooley served as Chief People Officer at Nordeus from 2017 to 2019. Nordeus is the game studio behind Top Eleven, one of the world's most successful mobile sports games. As Chief People Officer, she collaborated with the company's founders to design Nordeus's organizational structure, culture, and talent recruitment strategy to drive rapid growth. In 2021, less than five years after her appointment, Nordeus was acquired by Take Two Interactive for $378 million.
Cooley holds a Master's degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management from the State University of New York at Oswego. Cooley is an avid sports fan and a season ticket holder for the New York Jets, residing in New Jersey.
