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 June 2020.
YouGov hires Nicole Pike as esports and gaming lead
Market research and data analytics firm YouGov hired Nicole Pike as its Global Sector Head of Esports and Gaming.
Pike joins YouGov following a 13-year tenure at Nielsen, another data and measurement firm. She will be based in the United States and lead YouGov’s analytics in both esports and gaming as the firm looks to increase its activity in the industries.
Read the full article here.
Stefan Beitz boards ESL as Chief Financial Officer
Tournament organiser ESL appointed former ProSiebenSat.1 executive Stefan Beitz as its Chief Financial Officer.
Beitz previously served as the Managing Director of SevenOne Media, a sales unit of ProSiebenSat.1, for almost two years.
Read the full article here.
Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles named Commissioner of Flashpoint
Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles was named Commissioner of Flashpoint and Vice President of Brand for its parent company B Site.
In his new role as VP of Brand, MonteCristo will take the reins on all of B Site’s initiatives from a brand perspective, including Flashpoint, its content platform, and future events. Not only that, he’ll be personally responsible for developing new tournaments for B Site as it aims to expand into titles in addition to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Read the full article here.
FACEIT launches collegiate esports division led by CSL founder
Tournament platform and event organiser FACEIT entered the collegiate esports scene in the United States, making a dedicated hire for the venture.
The new FACEIT Collegiate Esports Division will be led by Duran Parsi, the founder of Collegiate Starleague (CSL). Parsi founded CSL when he was in college in 2009 and served as the CEO of the company until he departed in April.
Read the full article here.
OG appoints JMR Luna as CEO
European esports organisation OG Esports appointed former Immortals and Evil Geniuses executive JMR Luna as its CEO.
Having also enjoyed a career as a filmmaker in Hollywood, Luna is looking to “transform the organisation from being player-run to player-owned.”
Read the full article here.
TalentX Gaming finds Head of Talent in Amber Howard
TalentX Gaming, a management company for gaming and esports figures, hired Amber Howard as its Head of Talent.
In the role, Howard will be the “driving force” behind TalentX Gaming’s efforts in bringing in prominent clients from across esports, gaming, and online entertainment.
Read the full article here.
Nielsen names Matthew Yazge head of esports in North America
Global measurement and data analytics company Nielsen named Matthew Yazge its new Head of Esports in North America.
In addition to his current role as Head of Brand Sponsorship for Nielsen Sports, Yazge will now be responsible for leading commercial sales and client service for Nielsen’s Esports business following the exit of Nicole Pike.
Read the full article here.
Patricia von Halle promoted to Director of Consumer Marketing at ESL
Tournament organiser ESL appointed Patricia von Halle as its new Director of Consumer Marketing.
Joining ESL towards the end of 2016, von Halle’s initial role was as its Marketing Manager. After just over a year in the post, she became a contracted Counter-Strike: Global Offensive observer for the tournament organiser. Almost two years later, she took on the role of Lead Event Marketing until becoming Director of Consuming Marketing earlier this month.
Read the full article here.
100 Thieves hires Jeremy Azevedo as VP of Content
North American organisation 100 Thieves brought on Jeremy Azevedo as its VP of Content.
Azevedo previously worked at IGN Entertainment as its Head of Gaming Programming, controlling the programming and development of gameplay, editorial, entertainment, esports, and branded content.
Read the full article here.
AoE Creative finds Creative Director in Evan Eckard
Creative and Marketing Agency AoE Creative hired veteran designer Evan Eckard as its new Creative Director.
Eckard has collaborated with 100 Thieves, worked on the branding and merchandise design for streamer Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek, and helped with the branding, user interface, and user experience for music streaming app Pretzel Rocks.
Read the full article here.