Data science company Signify Group, which works with organisations and high-profile individuals in the fight against social media abuse, has today (Wednesday) launched a dedicated sports division.
Signify Sport has been created as a result of the amount of work the group is now doing in the sports industry and will be headed up by Jake Marsh (pictured left), who joins from Stats Perform, the sports data and technology company, where he was Global Head of Integrity Services.
Over the last two years, Signify’s AI-driven service, Threat Matrix, has helped international federations, clubs and major events protect athletes and officials from online abuse. These include the likes of Arsenal FC, World Athletics, Tennis Australia and the Commonwealth Games Federation, and player unions such as Fifpro (football) and the NBPA (basketball).
Jonathan Hirshler, chief executive of Signify, said: “The huge take up we are seeing with Threat Matrix in the sports world made the decision to create Signify Sport both logical and timely. We are enormously proud of the high-profile clients we work with, helping them protect their athletes, officials and executives from online abuse. We’re delighted that Jake – a leading practitioner in the sport integrity world – has agreed to join us at such an exciting time for the business.”
Marsh has spent almost 20 years working in the sport integrity and governance space, the last six-and-a-half of which has been at Stats Perform, where he oversaw the establishment of a range of comprehensive services to protect sports from corruption.
Indeed, he led on the establishment of a partnership between Stats Perform and Signify in 2021, which aimed to identify abusers as well as help to understand emerging trends, tactics and technology used to target sports professionals with online hate.
Marsh said today: “Working in partnership with the Signify team over the last two years has allowed me to see the positive effects Threat Matrix can have on athletes and sports organisations. The company’s reputation has grown rapidly, becoming a leading voice on the issues relating to online abuse and implementing innovative solutions to tackle them.
“The chance to head up Signify Sport was too good an opportunity to miss and with Threat Matrix now actively used by some of the world’s leading sports authorities, player unions and international federations, I’m keen to help the business realise its full potential. Signify’s capabilities focused on fan engagement and market intelligence will also be areas of focus for the sport division.”
Joining Marsh at Signify Sport will be experienced strategic sports consultant John Zerafa (right), a former co-founder and director at the now defunct strategic communications consultancy Vero Communications.
Zerafa, who has been advising Signify since the launch of Threat Matrix in 2020, will now spend more time with the sports unit. He has vast experience in reputation management and campaign strategy, working across a host of Olympic Games and World Cup bids, as well as presidential campaigns within international federations.
Hirshler added: “We’re thrilled that John has agreed to join us in this strategic capacity. His knowledge, networks and understanding of the sports world is first rate. We’re delighted to have him advising our executive team as we embark on an aggressive growth strategy, building on our already impressive portfolio of global sports organisations and brands.”
