Novig names first chief product officer

Founding engineer Ari Hirsch promoted to lead product design and engineering following nationwide expansion by sports prediction platform

Sports prediction market provider Novig has appointed Ari Hirsch as the company's first chief product officer.

Reporting to co-founder and chief technology officer Kelechi Ukah, Hirsch will oversee product design and engineering, with a focus on elevating the end-to-end experience.

Hirsch joined Novig in February 2023 as a founding engineer and was among the company's first 10 employees.

Most recently serving as head of engineering, he has played a central role in developing the platform's technology and consumer-facing features, including its launch as a federally regulated sports prediction market exchange in August.

"From day one, we've focused on building a sports trading platform that puts fans first, with fairness, transparency, and a great experience at its core," said Ukah. "No one is better suited for the position than Ari, who spends just as much time architecting our product and platform as he does engaging with our members.

"His technical expertise, commitment to our mission, and relentless optimization of the Novig experience make him the perfect person to drive the product forward in its next phase."

Commenting on his new role, Hirsch said: "Great products come from teams where everyone takes ownership of what they're building. At Novig, design and engineering work hand in hand. We trust our instincts, then use data and member feedback to test our assumptions. It is a privilege to lead a team that constantly challenges itself to improve, with the continued expectation that everything we ship meets the highest standard."