Behshad Behzadi Appointed as Sportradar’s CTO and CAIO

Sportradar Group AG has announced the appointment of Behshad Behzadi as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CTO and CAIO), effective May 1, 2024.

In his new role, Behzadi will be based at Sportradar’s headquarters in Switzerland, reporting directly to CEO Carsten Koerl. With a focus on driving the utilization and integration of AI and innovative technology, Behzadi will work collaboratively across the organization to enhance product offerings and develop a roadmap for delivering hyper-personalized experiences to sports fans. His extensive experience in spearheading initiatives to improve internal operational efficiency will also contribute to optimizing processes and fostering innovation across the business.

Koerl commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Behshad, a globally recognized leader in generative AI and advanced technologies, renowned for his technical expertise and business acumen. His proven track record in driving product strategies for growth and innovation, along with his focus on improving operational efficiency, will strengthen our leadership position and keep Sportradar at the forefront of technological advancement.”

Behzadi brings over 20 years of experience as a distinguished computer scientist and global technology leader, specializing in algorithms, search ranking, natural language processing, speech recognition, machine learning and generative AI. He previously held key roles at Google Zurich, contributing to the company’s AI-first strategy and co-founding groundbreaking initiatives such as Google Assistant, Google Lens and Google Smart Display. His recent tenure at Google Cloud focused on conversational AI and applied generative AI initiatives, aiming to automate customer services and operations for large enterprises.

Behzadi holds a PhD in Bioinformatics from Ecole Polytechnique in Paris and conducted post-doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics.

Behzadi expressed his enthusiasm for joining Sportradar, stating, “Sportradar is an exceptional company and category leader at the global nexus of sports, technology and digital content. I am thrilled to be part of an organization that pushes technological boundaries and prioritizes innovation. I eagerly anticipate collaborating with Carsten, the executive management team, and the talented creators at Sportradar as we embark on the next exciting chapter of the company.”