Rio Ferdinand assumes new role as Head Advisor for the DNAFit Health, Wellness & Sports Advisory Board.
Leading UK genetics company, DNAFit, has today confirmed the appointment of new shareholder, Rio Ferdinand, as Head Advisor of its Health, Wellness and Sports Advisory Board.
The role will see the former England international footballer join forces with the leading consumer genetics brand, as part of a shared mission to improve the nation’s health via a greater understanding of how our own DNA impacts our wellbeing,
The news comes just days after it was revealed that DNAFit has been awarded two highly coveted Queen’s Awards for Enterprise 2018, receiving both the Innovation and International Trade awards in the newly unveiled honours list in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s 92nd birthday.
The new partnership, which also sees Ferdinand take a significant un-disclosed investment stake within the genetics brand, kicks off an exciting period of aggressive growth for DNAFit and comes at a time when interest in personal genomics for preventative health, diet and fitness is at an all time high, with the annual market size expected to grow from US $1.3 Billion in 2019 to US $50 Billion in 2026.*
This new role, Rio will use his profile and passion for wellness to work with DNAFit on a number of initiatives within local and national communities, to support using genetics for preventative health purposes. These will focus on the use of genetics to help individuals make better health and diet choices through understanding their unique personal responses to a range of markers such as carbohydrates and fats, as well as predispositions to health risks such as cancers.
DNAFit is a wellness genetics company who match both elite sportspeople and ordinary consumers to the fitness and diet plans that best match their DNA. Since 2013 they have helped more than 50,000 people make better informed decisions around their wellness and nutrition regardless of their personal goal, ranging from the occasional gymgoer to Olympic athletes such as Greg Rutherford.
He will also draw on a wealth of sporting insight and expertise from his highly successful playing career, to work alongside leading DNAFit sports science experts on a range of pioneering projects and studies within elite sport.
Rio Ferdinand, Head Advisor of the DNAFit Health, Wellness & Sports Advisory Board, said;
“I’m extremely excited to be joining the team at DNAFit to help our nation discover the potential of personalised wellness through the use of our genetics. As a sportsman, I can identify with how this unique genetically driven approach can be a bridge to enhance training outcomes and performance. But more than anything, I want to help people live healthier, happier lives.
As you know, my own family has suffered huge personal losses to diseases such as cancer, which has motivated me to search for how we can educate ourselves around preventative health. I see my investment into DNAFit as an investment into the future of UK health.”
“After meeting Rio, it quickly became clear that our missions are truly aligned. In seeking to change the world of preventative health, we will use genetics to empower people with valuable information that puts them in control of their health.
Avi Lasarow, CEO of DNAFi
As such we are delighted to welcome Rio as a strategic investor and as Head Advisor of the DNAFit Health, Wellness and Sports Advisory Board. Rio’s passion in this space is contagious, and he will be a vital part of a new advisory team that will create a pathway to make a significant impact in the health of millions.”
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Now in its 52nd year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise is the most prestigious business award in the country, with winning businesses recognised as being among the best in the country and able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards emblem for the next 5 years. DNAFit is one of just eight British companies to be awarded in multiple categories, ahead of a Summer presentation ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
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