Billy Beane Joins Kitman Labs as Advisory Board Member
New Appointment Further Validates the Prevention of Sports Injury as the Next Evolution of “Moneyball”
Menlo Park, Calif., December, 16, 2015 – Kitman Labs, Silicon Valley’s leading sports science technology company, today announced that Billy Beane, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations of the Oakland Athletics, has been named to the company’s board as an advisory member. As one of professional sports’ most progressive executives, Beane joins Kitman Labs at an interesting time where the intersection of technology and data are changing the way teams think about keeping players healthy to increase player availability, while further validating the importance of reducing the risk of sports injury.
“Billy bring years of experience in leveraging statistical analysis in sports,” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “His counsel as an advisory board member will be invaluable to Kitman Labs as we continue expanding our software service in the U.S. and highlight how technology and science can help teams prevent sports injuries.”
As head of the Oakland Athletics’ front office since 1997, Billy Beane is one of the most transformative leaders in sports history. His pioneering use of advanced statistics, which has kept the A’s competitive despite significant financial disadvantages, has inspired a generation of sports and business leaders and was the subject of the 2002 book and 2011 film Moneyball. He also sits on the board of Netsuite, co-authored an article on possible remedies to the U.S. health care crisis, and serves as an advisor for the Dutch soccer club AZ Alkmaar.
“It’s vitally important to predict injuries, minimize them and limit player downtime,” Beane said. “Staying healthy is arguably the number one predictor of success, and teams that use science and technology to do so will have a significant competitive edge. I’m extremely encouraged by the work Kitman Labs is doing to help solve this problem.”
Beane joins current Kitman Labs advisor John Malloy, founder of Blue Run Ventures.