Jaws Spitfire Acquisition Corporation (NYSE: SPFR.U), a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of entering into a combination with one or more businesses, today announced that professional tennis player, dedicated philanthropist and accomplished investor Serena Williams has joined its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Ms. Williams joins Andy Appelbaum and Mark Vallely, previously announced members of Jaws Spitfire's Board of Directors.
"We are excited to have Serena join our Board and look forward to working with her to identify a great company for Jaws Spitfire to partner with and take public," said Barry Sternlicht, Chairman of Jaws Spitfire Acquisition Corporation. "Not only is Serena one of the greatest athletes of our time, her work off the court as an investor and philanthropist has touched the lives of millions. We are thrilled to bring together Serena's insights and expertise with those of Andy and Mark as we assess compelling opportunities for Jaws Spitfire."
"I have long admired Barry's leadership and investor acumen, and am thrilled to join the world-class Jaws Spitfire team as a board member," said Ms. Williams. "I look forward to lending my expertise as an entrepreneur, investor and brand-builder as we identify high-potential investments in the tech sector."
Led by Chairman Mr. Sternlicht and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Walters, Jaws Spitfire Acquisition Corporation expects to focus on consumer technology and related technology businesses with attractive growth-oriented characteristics and strong underlying demand drivers and with all or a substantial portion of activities in North America and/or Europe.
Serena Williams Biography
Serena Williams embodies style, power, beauty and courage. The longest ranked #1, the most successful female player of the Open Era and prized WTA player of all time, Serena has overcome insurmountable odds to win 23 career grand slams. Not only is she remarkable at tennis, her success with endeavors outside of the sport include film, television, and fashion. Her tennis ability combined with her off-court presence makes her one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world – an icon.
Serena has won a title in all four grand slam tournaments. She has won 73 singles championships, 23 doubles championships, and was also gold-medalist at the 2000 (doubles), 2008 (doubles), and 2012 (singles and doubles) Olympics. In 2015, Serena won four grand slams: Wimbledon, The French Open, The Australian Open, and The 2014 US Open slams, a feat affectionately known as the "Serena Slam". With such accomplishments, Sports Illustrated named Serena their "2015 Sportsperson of The Year". In 2017, Serena went on to clinch the Australian open to win her 23rd Grand Slam title.
Off the court, Serena has become a well-recognized in the business, fashion and entertainment space, In 2018, Serena has used her passion and savvy for fashion to launch her own clothing label, S By Serena, which was been featured at New York Fashion Week 2019, as well as her Serena Williams Jewelry line. On the small screen, Serena released a five-part Emmy award-winning docuseries on HBO titled "Being Serena." In 2014, Serena began her foray into investing by creating Serena Ventures, her own venture capital firm focused on investing in companies that embrace leadership, individual empowerment, creativity and opportunity.
Serena is deeply committed to other philanthropic causes, supporting organizations such as UNICEF, The S.E. Tennis and Learning Center, The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, Race for the Homeless, Stop the Violence, The Special Olympics, and The Arthur Ashe Foundation.
About Jaws Spitfire Acquisition Corp.
Jaws Spitfire Acquisition Corp., led by Chairman Barry S. Sternlicht and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Walters, is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. The Company's independent board members include Andy Appelbaum, Managing Partner of RiverPark Ventures, Mark Vallely, private investor, and Serena Williams, professional tennis player, philanthropist and early-state investor.
