As we began 2021 — a year we all hope can be better than the previous — there were, as ever, some key personnel changes in the esports industry.
Each month Esports Insider reports on the industry’s key movers and shakers. Here we have compiled January’s biggest personnel news. To read more about a story, just click the corresponding link in the title.
January highlight: Last month ESI spoke with Carleton Curtis, Executive Chairman of Guild Esports, about Guild’s recent financial results. The British org suffered significant losses, which were incurred during its pre-revenue stage. Curtis also spoke about Guild’s raison d’etre, David Beckham’s influence on the org’s academy system, the importance of creating a winning culture, and more.
Exclusive: Guild Esports Executive Chairman on 2021 ambitions and financial results
Esports movers and shakers, January 2021
GameSquare Esports announces Jan Neumeister as Head of European Operations
Publicly listed esports and gaming conglomerate GameSquare Esports in January appointed Jan Neumeister, former FaZe Clan Senior Vice President, as its new Head of European Operations.
Neumeister will be tasked with driving organic revenue growth in Europe, as well as identifying cross-selling opportunities with the company’s North American operations.
Astralis hires Commercial Director, Chief Marketing Officer
January was a busy month for Danish esports org Astralis. As well as announcing a major partnership with Universal Music, the firm also hired two key members of staff.
The company first announced the hire of Kasper Sindt, formerly of the Danish Football Association, as its Commercial Director.
Following that, Samantha Yu was brought on as Chief Marketing Officer. Yu was previously part of Vice Media Group company Refinery29 International, working as Vice President of Brand & Integrated Marketing.
Former ESL Director Charlie Allen launches commercial esports agency
Former ESL Global Brand Partnerships Director Charlie Allen in January launched Road House, a new commercial esports and gaming agency.
Road House will work with clients to help them appreciate the ‘mass potential of brand partnerships’ in the esports and gaming space. Allen has also worked for FOX, Rainmaker Consulting, and Momentum Worldwide.
eFuse expands senior team with Neil Duffy and Herb May appointments
Esports start-up eFuse has appointed Neil Duffy as Chief Revenue Officer, and Herb May as Director of Partnerships.
Duffy was formerly CSL Esports Chief Commercial Officer. May previously worked for Overwatch League franchise Houston Outlaws.
With aims of helping amateur and college esports competitors carve careers in the space, eFuse refers to itself as the ‘LinkedIn for gamers’.
Dominic Sacco leaves British Esports Association, pursues Esports News UK full-time
Former Head of Content for the British Esports Association, Dominic Sacco, is stepping down from his role at BEA to pursue Esports News UK — a news site he founded in 2015 — in a full-time capacity.
Sacco told Esports Insider last month that he also plans to launch a consultancy service to ‘help educate brands looking to take their first steps into the esports market, with a specific focus on the UK’.
HelloFresh founding member appointed Skrmiish CEO
Luke Grob, a founding member and former VP of Operations & Product at HelloFresh, has been appointed CEO of Skrmiish.
Skrmiish allows users to sync devices for ‘seamless result-reporting every game’ — theoretically reducing result disputes in gaming. Click the link in the title to read more about Skrmiish or the company’s new CEO.
DreamHack Sports Games appoints Scott Steedman as CCO
DreamHack Sports Games has appointed sports industry veteran Scott Steedman as its new Chief Commercial Officer.
Steedman will lead all the teams, plus the sales and marketing efforts, of Modern Times Group’s sports simulation business unit (Modern Times Group is DreamHack’s parent organisation).