Canadian esports holding company Enthusiast Gaming has named Nick Brien as its new Chief Executive Officer.
In his role, Brien will lead the company’s global operations which include ownership of esports organisation Luminosity Gaming and Call of Duty League franchise Seattle Surge.
Prior to joining Enthusiast Gaming, Brien was the CEO of advertising technology firm Amobee and the Americas CEO of marketing network company Dentsu. Dentsu serves several multinational companies including Microsoft, Intel, and American Express.
Adrian Montgomery, who has served as CEO since 2019, will move to Chair the Board of Directors.
The appointment of Brien as CEO comes after calls from both Enthusiast Gaming staff and shareholders requesting the resignation of now-former CEO Adrian Montgomery. In July 2022, Enthusiast staff members — reportedly VP-level executives — penned a letter requesting Montgomery’s resignation.
The staff letter was preceded by a public campaign to oust Montgomery by Greywood Investments, Enthusiast’s largest shareholder, accusing him of mismanagement.
With over three decades of marketing experience, Brien aims to create a range of new solutions that promote the growth of Enthusiast Gaming.
The company announced a loss of $26.05m (~£21.56m) for H1 2022, and a loss of CAD $30.2m (~$22.7, ~£19.1m) for Q3 2022.
Depsite the turmoil, Enthusiast Gaming continues to attract new partnerships. In August 2022, the company joined forces with the National Football League (NFL) in a multi-year deal through which the two parties will run a weekly content series.
Nick Brien, Enthusiast Gaming’s new CEO, spoke on his appointment: “I am excited to be joining Enthusiast Gaming, the #1 Gaming Property in the US.
“Enthusiast has built a broad portfolio of gaming assets to reflect the diverse entertainment needs and habits of younger audiences, owning some of the largest fan communities in the world, the largest gaming platform on YouTube, a leading casual games maker and winning esports teams.”
