Polymarket banner outside the New York Stock Exchange, October 7, 2025.
Kevin Stankiewicz | CNBC
Prediction market platform Polymarket is preparing for an anticipated fall busy season for event contract exchanges by hiring high-profile talent and retooling its marketing strategy.
Polymarket hired Travis VanderZanden, founder of e-scooter startup Bird, as chief growth officer in 2017. VanderZanden previously worked Uber Technologies and lift In the same way.
Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan “is a visionary in the predictive markets space, and this is a huge market opportunity,” VanderZanden said in a statement to CNBC. “These are exciting times as we strengthen our leadership team to help guide us into the next phase and remain firmly committed to the long term.”
Bloomberg first reported VanderZanden’s appointment last week.
Shayne Coplan, CEO of Polymarket, stands on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Thursday, November 13, 2025 in New York, USA.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Mr. VanderZanden will also oversee Polymarket’s marketing, the people said. This comes under scrutiny in areas of the company’s business following a Wall Street Journal investigation that alleged the company ran a misleading marketing campaign.
The paper said Polymarket made it appear that the content creators who used it were winning on the platform, when in fact they were not using any of their own funds. The report led to an investigation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the federal regulator for prediction markets.
Polymarket has implemented a new organizational structure for its marketing team, led by VanderZanden, updated guidelines for promotional partners and conducted training sessions to inform staff of the new policy, the people said. The company is currently working with a third-party consulting firm to monitor content released by promotional partners to ensure they follow the new guidelines, the people said.
Other prominent managers have been added to strengthen Polymarket in 2026 as well.
Megan McGrath, former robin hoodcurrently Chief Compliance Officer of Polymarket U.S. Exchange, Natalie Obrazny was previously coinbasewill oversee the regulatory affairs of the domestic platform. Polymarket’s U.S. exchange debuted in May and operates separately from its international markets.
Polymarket also hired Shanna Bautista, a former FBI employee who worked at Coinbase, as global head of investigations and intelligence, and Paul Jordan joined the company in 2018. Nasdaq and will serve as chief risk officer for Polymarket US.
All of the new staff comes as the prediction market platform gears up for two major drivers of traffic this fall. After domestic and international activity slumped after the World Cup ended in July, trading volumes are expected to increase in preparation for the start of the NFL season in September and the midterm elections in November.
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