MH // System Online
ID · 0042 / MATT HYMERSProduct · Innovation · Technology

Building the connected layer between products, platforms & the people who use them.

15+ years turning emerging technology into commercial products, platforms and revenue streams for global brands and fast-growing ventures. Currently CEO of Connected Fanatics.

Operating Mode
RoleSenior Exec · Product / Innovation / Brand Marketing
SectorsSports · Consumer Tech · DTC
StackNFC · IoT · AI · Web3 · Data
CitizenshipUK · AU · SE
StatusOpen to senior mandates
adidas/Nike/FC Bayern/Real Madrid/Manchester United/Juventus/AC Milan/Chelsea FC/British & Irish Lions/Canterbury/MLS/UEFA/Lufthansa/VF-Corp/Philips/Pentland/adidas/Nike/FC Bayern/Real Madrid/Manchester United/Juventus/AC Milan/Chelsea FC/British & Irish Lions/Canterbury/MLS/UEFA/Lufthansa/VF-Corp/Philips/Pentland/
01 ·

The Scoreboard

Outcomes, not adjectives.
British & Irish Lions · 90 days
60K
Verified fans onboarded
5× industry benchmark
95%
Peak engagement rate
Smart-apparel commerce
4.7%
Sponsor e-com conversion
Real-time, global capture
143
Countries activated
Across portfolio mandates
$60M+
Revenue scaled
Germany · 2014 data systems
1
World Cup win
Younger than average
30%
Demographic community capture
Basket size
High value relationships
05b ·

Featured In

Documentary and podcast appearances on the future of sport, clothing and technology.
02 ·

Signature Work

A career built shipping physical-digital systems at world-stage scale.
The Lions Clubhouse — Tap into The Lions Clubhouse — official app & connected jersey ecosystem
Connected Fanatics · 2025
Case 01

The Lions Clubhouse

Tap into The Lions Clubhouse — official app & connected jersey ecosystem

Embedded encrypted NFC touchpoints into official British & Irish Lions jerseys and fan-zone signage, routing physical taps into a private digital ecosystem. 60,000 verified fans, 95% engagement, 143 countries in 90 days.

FC Bayern World — Digital Store Strategy — Flagship retail concept & touch-point design
FC Bayern Munich · 2019
Case 02

FC Bayern World — Digital Store Strategy

Flagship retail concept & touch-point design

Led digital strategy and touch-point architecture for FC Bayern World's flagship store in Munich. Designed immersive digital installations, connected merchandise journeys and experiential retail flow that turned foot traffic into a first-party engagement engine.

Premium Product and Go-to-Market Campaigns — Global kit launches for elite clubs and international federations
adidas · 2017
Case 03

Premium Product and Go-to-Market Campaigns

Global kit launches for elite clubs and international federations

Managed global design, development and marketing of product for multiple global sports clubs and international federations at adidas. End-to-end ownership of premium kit and apparel campaigns from concept through retail activation.

adidas Creator Studio — Largest CRM activation in adidas football history
adidas · 2015–16
Case 04

adidas Creator Studio

Largest CRM activation in adidas football history

Conceived, built and shipped a global co-creation platform inviting fans to design third kits for Bayern, Real Madrid, Man United, Juventus, Milan and Flamengo. Turned a marketing moment into a permanent first-party data engine.

World Cup Winning Data Systems — miCoach Elite · Germany 🇩🇪
adidas · 2014
Case 05

World Cup Winning Data Systems

miCoach Elite · Germany 🇩🇪

Product lead for the elite performance data system worn by the German national team during their 2014 FIFA World Cup victory. Sensor vests, real-time biometrics, coach-side analytics — sport's first deployed-at-scale connected training stack.

League-Wide Wearables, First of Its Kind — miCoach Elite × Major League Soccer
adidas × MLS · 2012
Case 06

League-Wide Wearables, First of Its Kind

miCoach Elite × Major League Soccer

Delivered the sports industry's first league-wide wearable technology and data platform — multi-million dollar partnership rolled across every MLS franchise.

03 ·

Trajectory

From product manager to category-creating CEO.
2021 — Now

Founder & CEO

Connected Fanatics

Built a B2B SaaS + connected-apparel ecosystem turning physical fan touchpoints into sovereign first-party relationships. Official inclusion in UEFA Circular Economy Guidelines.

NFCIoTDTC1st-Party Data
2023 — Now

Co-Founder, Strategy

RugbyDAO

Architected a blockchain-based, fan-governed rugby membership scaled to 1,000+ professional athletes and senior industry executives.

Web3CommunityGovernance
2023 — 2024

Fractional Managing Director

Flowin AB

Overhauled product architecture, brand identity and DTC journey for a European fitness brand — accelerating cross-border growth.

DTCTurnaroundBrand
2016 — 2021

Head of Business Innovation

Digital Innovation AG

Led GTM and 1st-party data strategy for Nike, adidas, Lufthansa, FC Bayern, VF-Corp and Philips. Re-engineered product marketing for connected retail.

StrategyCRMInnovation
2015 — 2016

Sr. Product Marketing & Digital Manager

adidas — Football

Built and launched adidas Creator Studio — the single largest CRM activation in adidas football history. Led the 2018 FIFA World Cup Smart Ball concept.

CRMSmart BallGlobal GTM
2014 — 2015

Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Digital Sports

adidas

Product lead for the elite data analysis systems used by Germany's 2014 FIFA World Cup–winning national team.

Elite DataWearables
2011 — 2014

Product & Project Manager, Digital Sports

adidas

Delivered the sports industry's first league-wide wearable platform — exclusive partnership with Major League Soccer.

WearablesMLSEnterprise
04 ·

Operating Range

Hire me for the edges between disciplines — that's where category-defining product gets made.
Matt Hymers on the ground with Cafu in Rio during the 2014 FIFA World Cup adidas miCoach activation
Field test · Rio · 2014 FIFA World Cup
On the ground with Cafu — adidas miCoach activation.
AC Milan adidas Creator Studio activationmiCoach Elite — train smarter campaignadidas Creator Studio fan-designed third kits

Product Strategy

Active

Lifecycle, category creation, global GTM

Connected Products

Active

NFC, IoT, smart apparel, sensor systems

Data & AI

Active

1st-party architectures, attribution, elite analytics

Innovation

Active

0→1 ventures, R&D, physical-digital systems

Marketing

Active

Direct-to-consumer, CRM, brand & community

Leadership

Active

C-suite, cross-functional teams, P&L ownership

Recruiter Brief

Senior executive who has already done it — built wearables for World-Cup-winning teams, shipped CRM at brand scale, founded category-defining ventures, and translated emerging tech (NFC, IoT, AI, Web3) into measurable commercial outcomes. Comfortable with founders, boards and shop-floor engineers in the same hour.

Product Marketing
Product Management
Innovation
Technology
Data & AI
Sensors / IoT
Engagement
Loyalty
Community
06 · Signal In

Got a hard product problem worth solving?

Senior executive mandates, board advisory, fractional leadership and high-stakes product launches. Based in Sweden, operating globally.