Kiswe, the interactive, fan-first cloud video company, appointed Chris Pantoya as chief operating officer, according to a Wednesday announcement from the New Providence-based firm.
Most recently, Pantoya served as chief commercial officer and head of strategy at Fan Controlled Sports and Entertainment, where she helped to build out content and strategic partnerships such as TV/digital distribution and betting, as well as leading the company’s overall revenue function (sponsorship, merchandise and advertising). Prior to that, Pantoya served as chief financial officer of the special purpose acquisition company, OmniChannel Acquisition Corp. Earlier in her career, Pantoya launched and led the NBA’s direct-to-consumer business globally. Before that, she established and led Verizon’s corporate development practice in media and entertainment, resulting in a number of large strategic acquisitions.
In her new role, Pantoya will focus on driving Kiswe’s growth as the company continues to define the future of video and leading the company’s global operations, including its finance, human resource and business operations teams. She will report directly to Kiswe’s CEO, Glenn Booth.
“Chris brings a proven track record of successful leadership in sports, technology and new media,” Booth said. “This experience, combined with her strong understanding of interactive sports and entertainment market dynamics, will be an enormous asset to the team as we develop and implement accelerated growth strategies.”
“I’ve always been passionate about helping to create high-quality experiences that are uniquely engaging and that delight sports and entertainment fans,” Pantoya said. “I am excited to join Kiswe as COO because of their partner-first approach to reliably delivering digital live experiences at scale. I’m especially thrilled to join Kiswe at a time when artists, sports leagues and sports teams are more interested in establishing direct relationships with their fans through live experiences than ever before.”
Pantoya has served on the board of directors for Ryman Hospitality since 2019. She also serves as the chairwoman of Old Dominion University’s business school advisory board. Pantoya received her master’s at Old Dominion University and is an Emmy nominee for interactive sports.
