PALO ALTO, Calif., 11th December, 2020 - Zone7, the AI-driven injury prevention platform, has named Rebecca “Bex” Smith, two-time FIFA World Player of the Year nominee and host of BBC’s The Players Podcast, as a Strategic Advisor to the firm.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bex as the newest member of our advisory team,” said Tal Brown, CEO and Co-Founder of Zone7. “Not only is she an internationally-acclaimed professional athlete, Bex is an elite performer who has transitioned into leadership and operational roles across several sports-facing businesses. Her guidance, network, and extensive insights as a competitor at the highest-level will be invaluable as Zone7 continues to scale.”
Smith enjoyed a successful career as an international footballer, rising to prominence as captain of the New Zealand national team at both the World Cup and Olympics. As a professional athlete with VfL Wolfsburg, she won the coveted ‘Treble’ of UEFA Champions League, German League and German Cup honors in 2013, and also played club football across Australia, Sweden and the U.S.
“While there is nothing more important to athletes than physical and mental wellbeing, this is also a key area of professional sport that is currently underserved, particularly among female athletes,” said Smith. “Zone7 has made it clear their mission is to proactively protect athletes’ health and ensure career longevity. Their technology looks at players as human beings first and has enjoyed proven success among early adopters. I look forward to joining the Zone7 team on this exciting journey.”
Following her playing career, Smith pivoted to an operational role within The Beautiful Game. At FIFA, she served as the Competitions Manager for all Women’s World Cup events between 2013 and 2018. Smith also co-founded JAMAA Sports Productions, a production company dedicated to honoring the entire athletic journey, and has worked as the Global Executive Director of the Women's Game at COPA90, a fan-first football media company. She also sits on the Board for the Isokinetic Medical Group and the London Football Awards, among other private companies.
“We will see more change in sport over the next five years than in the previous 50,” added Roger Mitchell, Executive Advisor to Zone7 and former CEO of the Scottish Premier League. “We will see a younger and more diverse industry, a data-centric environment where athletes are strategically embracing technology for a competitive advantage. Having Bex onboard - someone with experience on the pitch, in the back office, and across the content stack - will serve Zone7 well.”
Smith joins a growing band of current and former player athletes affiliated with Zone7, including Kristaps Porzingis (of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks), Jordi Cruyff (formerly of FC Barcelona and Netherlands) and John Colquhoun (formerly of Heart of Midlothian FC and Scotland).
About Zone7
Zone7 is a proprietary artificial intelligence platform that analyzes athletes’ health and performance data sets to uncover insights and make proactive recommendations that optimise injury prevention. Founded in 2017 by
CEO Tal Brown and CTO Eyal Eliakim, Zone7 has logged more than 5 million hours of athletic action, and is used by professional and amateur teams across MLB, MLS, the NCAA, La Liga, UEFA Champions League, and the Olympics. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, with offices in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv, Israel. For more information, please visit www.zone7.ai.
Contact
Zone7 Media Relations
info@zone7.ai
