North American esports organisation XSET has announced the appointment of fashion veteran Steve Birkhold as its Chief Merchandise and Licensing Officer.
Through his new role, Birkhold will bring his expertise and skills to XSET’s fashion division. In addition to his executive role at XSET, Birkhold will also serve on XSET’s advisory board, contributing to fashion-related initiatives and different verticals.
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As an executive at XSET, Birkhold will contribute his expertise towards supporting the organisation’s merch, fashion and design team. Together they aim to create an ‘innovative’ approach to gaming lifestyle fashion. This includes touching on partnership and collaboration strategies across various industries, as well as pioneering design.
Greg Selkoe, Co-founder and CEO of XSET, commented: “We are thrilled to have one of the most respected names in fashion join our team. Steve’s expertise in the space is a perfect fit as we continue to scale, deliver and set the trends other gaming organisations will follow.
“Steve is a true visionary and recognized leader known for building iconic brands; we can’t wait for XSET to become his next!”
Prior to joining XSET, Birkhold has accumulated more than 30 years of experience in global fashion. He has worked with brands such as Diesel, Lacoste and BEBE. Moreover, Birkhold has more than a decade of senior management roles at VF Corporation, specifically focusing on Lee Jeans, Nautica Jeans and Earl Jeans.
The newly appointed Chief Merchandise and Licensing Officer added: “I am honoured to be joining XSET as their Chief Merchandise and Licensing Officer, and lend my expertise to their world-class team.
“What Greg and his team have accomplished in just the first year since the org’s inception is a tremendous achievement. The gaming industry and XSET are both seeing exponential growth and I look forward to continuing that trajectory and helping see the organisation through their next levels of success.”
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XSET Co-founder Wil Eddins, who previously held the role of Chief Merchandise and Licensing Officer, will move into the position of Chief Creative Officer. Through his new role, he will oversee all creative strategies within the company.
Esports Insider says: XSET has chosen a fashion legend to lead its merch teams. It will be interesting to see the dynamic between Steve Birkhold and XSET’s brand and how that will influence the organisation’s future merch drops.