The esports industry is growing by effectively every metric and so too are the companies and organisations that inhabit it; with this comes new employment opportunities and promotions. With coronavirus affecting how most companies are operating, there are changes on that front also.
Now that Esports Insider is keeping track of the key personnel changes in the industry, we will compile the biggest personnel developments each month. Here are the esports movers and shakers for August 2020.
Mogul adds Google, YouTube veteran Kate Vale to board
Kate Vale’s career has taken her to many top companies including YouTube, Google, and Spotify, now she joins the board of matchmaking platform Mogul.gg as a non-executive Director.
An amateur tournament and competition matchmaker, Mogul.gg is in a space with plenty of competition. One way to get ahead of a crowded field is filling a company with top executives, and that seems to be Mogul’s plan.
Chris DeAppolonio boards Evil Geniuses as Chief Innovation Officer
North American organisation Evil Geniuses hired Chris DeAppolonio as its Chief Innovation Officer. In his role as Evil Geniuses’ Chief Innovation Officer, he will be in charge of “building new initiatives, opportunities, and revenue streams” for the organisation.
This time last year, DeAppolonio was promoted to the role of President of Overwatch League franchise Houston Outlaws. He previously served as the Executive Vice President of Partnerships at Infinite Esports & Entertainment, the franchise’s original ownership group.
Activision Blizzard hires deputy MLB commissioner to lead esports
Activision Blizzard made a significant personnel move, announcing the hiring of Major League Baseball deputy commissioner Tony Pettiti to lead its esports and entertainment efforts.
Pettiti, who officially began on August 17th, will be Activision Blizzard’s President of Sports and Entertainment and report directly to CEO Bobby Kotick.
Gscience hires Tom Smith as Chief Marketing Officer
Esports performance brand Gscience has found its Chief Marketing Officer, hiring Esportsdeck founder Tom Smith.
G-Science announced a rebrand on August 4th, refreshing its logo and changing its name from ‘G-Science.’ The hiring of Smith, who is said to have been involved in esports since 2010, is the latest development for the company.
Smith spoke on his new role: “I have been aware of the substantial progress Ryan and Jamie have made as a company over the past year, and I am excited to be joining them on their journey. Since initially joining as a marketing advisor, our business relationship continued to flourish.