Oura Taps Former Headspace Exec Sean Brecker as New CFO
A longtime Oura devotee, Brecker will lead all aspects of the wearable tech company’s financial activities after nearly a decade at Headspace
Oura has appointed Sean Brecker, formerly of Headspace, as its new chief financial officer.
It’s been a big year for Oura, which announced a large-scale retail partnership with Best Buy and the acquisition of Proxy, a digital identity startup, teasing what may be ahead on the horizon —- possible features such as payments, access, security and identity through the wearable ring. With a reported value of $165 million, the deal fortified Oura’s position in the wearable space, with CEO Tom Hale acknowledging the company now has “the most comprehensive portfolio in the smart ring space.”
Brecker comes to Oura with expertise in the health and wellness industry, having spent a decade at Headspace in various leadership positions, including CEO and CFO where he led the mental wellness company’s $3 billion merger with Ginger. He’s also served as a trader and originator at investment institutions, such as J.P. Morgan, Lehman Brothers and Citigroup.
At Oura, Brecker will lead the company’s financial operations and support its growth, driving financial activities such as capital raising, financial reporting, investor and board relations and corporate strategy.
“I had known Tom (Hale, Oura CEO) for a couple of years, and when he reached out to me about the CFO position, I was immediately intrigued,” said Brecker of his new position.
From Fan To Financial Officer
Brecker noted that he’d been a fan of the Oura Ring even before his appointment, particularly its gentle encouragement and habit-changing prompts. The wearable even nudged him to take a COVID test after it indicated his body temperature was elevated and his HRV and blood oxygen saturation were in an unusual state. The test concluded that he was positive for COVID right before Brecker was scheduled to leave on a two-week trip to Asia. Because of Oura’s data, Brecker quarantined and started Paxlovid, which he said saved his summer.
“I’ve always had the utmost respect for Tom, which made the opportunity even more enticing,” Brecker added. “As I got to know the executive team and various members of the board and saw people’s passion about Oura’s mission to impact people’s lives, I became even more excited and motivated.”
Oura Expansion
Oura’s new leadership position comes on the heels of its three new stress management features, providing real-time stress monitoring, an AI-powered journal feature and an upcoming scoring system that assesses how much physiological stress an Oura ring wearer can handle by considering daily stress and recovery.
The company has also partnered with Headspace and Thrive Global, so Oura members can access Headspace content to unwind and Thrive Global to participate in sleep and stress management challenges powered by the smart ring.
Combating stress and promoting mental fitness is a major component of Oura, as demonstrated by a partnership with Talkspace, an online behavioral health company. Announced last month, Oura users can opt to provide their personalized sleep data with licensed therapists.
