Esports education company EStars has announced Gavin Petken and Ed Woodward, formally of football club Manchester United, as the latest members of its Board of Directors.
The two new team members, who will act as Non-Executive Directors, will look to help steer the grassroots esports and education company. Additional details regarding the tasks Woodward and Petken will be involved in were not disclosed.
EStars is based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, but also focuses on the UK market. The company organises esports events in the UK and Ireland, and delivers BTECs in esports as well as numerous other activations and projects aimed at students.
New hires Woodward and Petken are well-known and experienced figures in the sports and financial industries, with both bringing decades of experience to EStars’ leadership.
Ed Woodward is most-known for his 16-year tenure at Premier League football club Manchester United as its executive vice-chairman. Prior to that, he worked at JP Morgan’s mergers and acquisitions team. Woodward left the football club in 2022 and has since worked on personal projects, such as producing wine in Portugal.
On the other hand, Gavin Petken is the founder of Airstream Capital and a seasoned investor. During his career, he worked at the Royal Bank of Scotland and Business Growth Fund, and invested in numerous companies in a number of different sectors. He is also a board member of flooring company Victoria Plc.
EStars CEO & Founder, Mags Byrne, commented on the appointments: “EStars has evolved from a grassroots live events company to working with and helping students through educational esports initiatives, using the power of gaming to develop core skills and achieve amazing results. I am delighted to welcome Gavin and Ed to be a part of this exciting journey with EStars as we continue our growth in educational esports.”
