Each month, Esports Insider compiles a list of the most prominent esports movers and shakers of the previous month.
Here are the top movers and shakers for May 2023. If you are interested in a story, click the link in the corresponding title.
Spotlighted story
The Clutch Success Stories is a short series that tells the stories of some of the start-ups that have taken to the stage and emerged victorious at Esports Insider’s live pitch competition.
The first edition sees Doron Tsur, a Creative Writer at software company Overwolf, detail the journey of The Clutch’s 2021 champions, iTero Gaming.
Long-time Riot Games CEO Nicolo Laurent has announced that he will step down from his role later this year, and is set to be replaced by the current President of Riot A. Dylan Jadeja.
Laurent attributed the move to personal reasons, noting that he plans to move back to France and spend more time with his family. Riot Games expects the move to be completed by the end of 2023 and Laurent will stay in his role until then.
Brazilian esports organisation FURIA has appointed Marcos Pereira as its new Head of Partnerships and Customer Success.
Pereira joins the organisation after a one-year tenure at Google where he worked as the company’s Games Business Development Manager for the Google Play platform. In his role, Pereira will spearhead FURIA’s partnership initiatives in addition to enhancing the experience of brands and fans that engage with the organisation across its platforms.
North American esports organisation FaZe Clan has appointed Erik Anderson as its President.
Anderson will move from his current role as Head of Esports to take a greater leadership role within FaZe Clan. However, as President, he will continue to lead the organisation’s esports division while focusing on the rest of the business. In addition to Anderson becoming President of FaZe Clan, Chief Financial Officer Christoph Pachler will become the Chief Operating Officer of FaZe Holdings, the parent company of the organisation.
Esports and gaming production company Wisdom Gaming has let go of 17 staff in a round of layoffs, former employees told Esports Insider.
The layoffs are the fourth round of cuts by Wisdom in about a year as the company faces financial hardship. Former staffers told Esports Insider that the layoffs were a cost-cutting measure, as Wisdom Gaming has struggled in what is widely considered to be a difficult time for the industry.
High school esports platform PlayVS has announced that its CEO, Delane Parnell, has stepped down from his role.
The departure comes after widespread criticism and a series of scandals have engulfed PlayVS since 2022. Parnell has acted as CEO since he founded the company in 2018, but says he is leaving to pursue other projects. PlayVS announced that Joe Gibson, the current VP of Finance, will take over the role of CEO while the company searches for a successor.
Esports tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has announced Fabio Tambosi as the company’s new Senior Vice President of Marketing.
In his new role, Tambosi will be tasked with overseeing the entirety of EFG’s marketing efforts across all channels. Fabio Tambosi is an executive with varied experience ranging from sportswear and education, to technology and consulting.
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.
