British organisation Excel Esports has appointed Wouter Sleijffers as its CEO ahead of its planned global expansion.
Kieran Holmes-Darby, the former CEO, will now assume the role of Chief Gaming Officer, with his co-founder Joel Holmes-Darby becoming Chief People Officer.
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Despite holding a slew of advisor roles at the likes of Socios, QuizBeat, Aggero, and Maika’i, Sleijffers is best known for serving as CEO of British organisation Fnatic for over four years.
Sleijffers discussed his new role in a release: “Excel Esports is the most beloved brand in UK esports, and I’m delighted to take up this new challenge of building the organisation into a household name on a global scale. My experience helping create one of the most established brands in the industry meant I recognised Excel’s extraordinary potential immediately, and I’m thrilled to be helping chart its course to become an international success.”
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Excel Esports has also brought on Robin McCammon, former Director of Global Sports Marketing at adidas for six years, as its Chief Commercial Officer. This is McCammon’s first foray in esports, having spent over 20 years building brands in the traditional sports and lifestyle industries.
McCammon commented on the venture: “In Excel, the boldest British esports brand, I have found a tremendous opportunity to leverage my experience in the sport and lifestyle world to build something truly new with the team that goes beyond what’s expected of an esports organisation. I’m delighted to join the fastest growing entertainment sector with such an immensely ambitious and disruptive company, and I very much look forward to getting my teeth into establishing Excel as a world leader in the esports space.”
Esports Insider says: This marks a significant shift into a new era for Excel Esports. First hinted at with its inclusion in Riot Games’ LEC, the organisation is now under way in its exploration into global recognition in the industry. Sleijffers is very experienced with running a British organisation, and McCammon has a wealth of outside experience that could prove rather helpful if implemented properly. It’s a sad day to see the Holmes-Darby brothers step back from steering the ship, however.