Sport tech startup DashTag adds former Nike, O’Neill, Tesla executive and eBuddy founder to ‘dream team’.
DashTag, the Dutch sport startup that makes individual stats accessible for every soccer player, just announced the entry of two new advisors. Former Nike, O’Neil and Tesla executive Willem Haitink and eBuddy founder Jan-Joost Rueb and will join DashTag’s ‘dream team’.
With their experience and skills DashTag will enter the US soccer market to give ambitious soccer the podium they deserve. Driven by FIFA game stats DashTag highlights all achievements to the world and encourages players to “capture, train and show” their performance.
Willem Haitink
Willem Haitink comes with 20+ years of experience with leading global branded sports/lifestyle, and technology companies. As a CEO/General Manager his expertise includes strategy, transformation, brand&product management, retail/omni-channel and p&l management across a diverse portfolio of global businesses.
During his 17 year career at Nike he held various senior management positions around the globe. As VP EMEA of Converse he led the transition from a licensing model to fully owned distribution. From 2005 through 2010 he was GM/VP of Nike Greater China. From 2011 through 2016 he was global CEO of O’Neill, a privately held lifestyle company, which he successfully turned around into a profitable and growing business. Recently he was Vice President EMEA for Tesla, where he led the growth of the Tesla business across the region, building the European team, growing the distribution and expanding into new markets.
“DashTag uses technology the way it is supposed to be: to make your life more fun, easier and better. How about having Fifa stats about your own performance and to improve your skills? Until now it was only accessible for the pro’s, but now every athlete has the ability to capture his own achievements”.
Haitink adds: “ The solid business plan combined with the enthusiasm and vision of the founders Epco Berger, Cliff de Roode and Dirk van den Berg energizes me. A good plan is only half of the success. Passion and commitment do the rest. I’m really looking forward to work with team DashTag and to make this company ‘the next big thing’ in the US.”
Jan-Joost Rueb
Jan-Joost is serial entrepreneur and (angel) investor in several start-ups. He has co-founded and managed eBuddy, the pioneer in mobile messaging with over 400M users. Before this he was one of the early employees at Arbinet New York from its start-up in 1999, leading to a successful NASDAQ IPO in 2004. Jan-Joost holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Groningen University.
Rueb quotes: “Technology will disrupt the sports industry. With globally a billion active sporters the market potential is gigantic for smart applications. But the value for the individual athlete, the user, will be the main differentiator. DashTag emphasizes this value: What’s in it for the individual soccer player? How to make sure they want to keep using our product? That’s crucial. That’s why I believe DashTag will disrupt the industry”.
“Their strategy to focus on the US market”, Rueb continues, “with 25 million soccer players a fast growing market, is symbolic for the founders vision. I’m really excited to put my knowledge and network into it and boost the acceleration in the US!”.
About Dashtag
Founded in 2015, DashTag, a Dutch sport tech company, was established to give ambitious soccer players all over the world the podium they deserve. Driven by Fifa game stats DashTag highlights all achievements to the world and encourages players to “capture, train and show” their performance. While featuring the most dedicated players, the Dash is designed for soccer players of all levels and abilities and is geared towards pulling them out the shades and into the spotlights.
Want to know more? Go to getdashtag.com for all the information.
