Each month, ESI compiles the period’s most significant esports movers and shakers. November’s round-up features personnel changes from the likes of Riot Games, Envy Gaming, eFuse and Complexity Gaming, among others.
Here are the key esports movers and shakers from November 2021. To read more about a story below, click the link in the corresponding title.
Spotlighted story
Nicole LaPointe Jameson joins the*gameHERs Board of Advisors
Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO of North American esports organisation Evil Geniuses, has announced that she has joined the Board of Advisors for women-led gaming community the*gameHERs.
Jameson has joined the organisation’s board in order to help advance its mission of honouring all women, marginalized genders and non-binary gamers, according to a post on LinkedIn.
John Needham promoted to President of Esports at Riot Games
Game developer Riot Games announced today that the former Global Head of Esports, John Needham, has been promoted to the newly created role of President, Esports.
In his new role, Needham will lead the company’s esports division, which unifies all of Riot’s esports titles and operations.
Misfits Gaming bolsters team of executives with new hires
Multi-regional esports company Misfits Gaming Group (MGG) has announced three new hires as the company restructures towards a media enterprise.
Steven Brauntuch and Candace Rhymer have joined the organisation as its first Chief Marketing Officer and Chief People Officer, respectively. Moreover, Alyson Schefren has been hired as MGG’s Vice President of Integrated Marketing.
Jackson Dahl departs 100 Thieves
Jackson Dahl, who was part of the founding team for North American esports organisation 100 Thieves, has departed the company.
Dahl announced the news of his departure on social media earlier this week. He did not disclose his reasons for leaving or his future plans, but described the move as an ‘incredibly hard decision’.
Complexity Gaming announces two new executive hires
North American esports organisation Complexity Gaming has announced two new executive hires as the company looks to bolster its global expansion efforts and diversify its offering for fans.
As a result, Olly Emery and Christina Grushkin have joined the organisation as its new Head of Marketing (including Gamesquare) and Head of Sales, respectively.
Riot Games appoints Francine Li as VP of Brand Management and Marketing
Francine Li, formerly of Netflix, has been appointed as the new Vice President of Brand Management and Marketing for game developer Riot Games.
Li will be tasked with building a portfolio of brand marketing leaders responsible for multiple game genres and developing integrated marketing campaigns. Riot Games also noted that Li comes at a ‘pivotal moment’ for the company.
Dennis ‘Thresh’ Fong joins Juked advisory board
Esports-focused social media network Juked.gg has welcomed Dennis ‘Thresh’ Fong to its advisory board.
Fong will serve as one of the advisors to Juked’s executive team and will work closely with the company on business and marketing strategies. In particular, these strategies will emphasise collaborative efforts regarding the issues of toxicity in esports.
eFuse appoints Board of Advisors
Esports company eFuse has announced its Board of Advisors, with the five new individuals working on advising and strengthening eFuse’s market position.
The new Board will include industry veterans such as MLG pioneers Adam Apicella and Sundance DiGiovanni, as well as Joowon Lee, Kevin Lopes, and Nicole Pike. The new advisors will cover all fields of eFuse’s work: talent management, partnership development, events, growth, and analytics.
Envy Gaming appoints two new Sales Directors
North American esports organisation Envy Gaming has appointed two new Directors of Sales.
Katie Kristiansen and Kenneth Trader are set to join Envy immediately and will work to drive new revenue opportunities and develop brand partnerships nationally and locally.
Whalen Rozelle promoted to Head of Global Esports Operations at Riot Games
Game developer Riot Games announced today that the former Senior Director of Global Esports and Global Head of VALORANT Esports, Whalen Rozelle, has been promoted to Head of Global Esports Operations.
Whalen Rozelle has been a part of Riot Games for almost a decade, and will now oversee all of the company’s global esports efforts – including tens of leagues, hundreds of players and teams, and multiple high-profile esports events each year.
Christian Bishop appointed Director of Twitch Properties
Christian Bishop has left UK-based esports organisation Method to join Amazon as the company’s new Director of Twitch Properties.
On Twitter, Bishop announced that as part of his role he will be responsible for the monetisation of Twitch’s brands, such as Twitch Rivals and TwitchCon, as well as helping build relationships with clients.