Crafting the Ultimate VIP Experience

When Kyle joined DraftKings as an analyst five years ago, he never thought he’d manage a sales organization or work directly with clients. Yet, that’s exactly where he finds himself today, as the Senior Manager of VIP Acquisition and Lifecycle, a team he joined several months ago. Our incredible VIP team focuses on building lasting relationships with new and existing players. How do they do this? Simply by delivering the ultimate experience to our customers. Learn more about Kyle and his team’s work below.

Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Kyle studied economics in college. After graduating, he worked in the finance industry but knew he wanted to work for a Boston-based startup to uplevel his skills. DraftKings was at the top of his list, and in 2019, he joined our Analytics team. His new role leveraged his skills and interests in working with numbers, coding, and business models. Kyle was the first analyst to support the VIP Acquisition and Lifecycle teams.

In the four years that Kyle worked within analytics, he supported the VIP team and many of its new functions. As he continued partnering with the team, he built long-lasting relationships across the VIP groups and developed ownership over his work and career path. 

In late 2023, he decided to join the VIP Operations team. Although this new role fell under a different function, there was already familiarity with the team’s operations through Kyle’s close partnership with its team members. Moving to the VIP team nudged Kyle out of his comfort zone into a new role to solve new problems and flex different work skills.

So, what were those new challenges that drew him to a different team?

For one, no one has ever done this before. The team did a lot of testing and learning when they started. Since everything was so new, there were no bad ideas - the team fostered a creative environment and entrepreneurial spirit. Everyone was encouraged to bring new ideas and find innovative solutions. Because the team comes from different work backgrounds and experiences, they paired that with DraftKings’ data-driven approach to try various solutions for the best outcome.

Additionally, our VIP team has high visibility, handling a significant portion of DraftKings’ bottom line and directly impacting revenue. Members of this team are the face of our brand and build valuable relationships with our most loyal customers. Our hosts directly connect with our customers on a personal level; they break down the walls through a bespoke experience. Our VIP team members are the ultimate hosts at all times. 

The team’s enthusiasm and commitment to innovation were the building blocks of the VIP team today and what excited Kyle to join. As DraftKings continues to expand into new territories, so will this team as they continue to optimize the customer experience. When asked about the future of this team, Kyle brought up growth, accountability, and visibility.

“Our department has a lot of visibility and receives real-time customer feedback. We know how and why our work matters and are always looking to improve our business goals and profitability. We’re a startup within a startup, making impactful decisions to make our team more efficient and successful. We never settle. We are growing, innovating, and taking our products and experiences to the next level.” - Kyle

Ready to join our VIP team and bring your entrepreneurial ideas and spirit to the table? Check out the latest roles on this team!