(Cologne, 20.07.20) – We are delighted to announce that Craig Levine is appointed as Co-CEO of ESL, succeeding David Neichel. Levine was previously Chief Strategy Officer and, prior to that, served as CEO of ESL North America. He has two decades of esports experience, including as one of the earliest pro team owners in North America and founder of numerous esports organizations which have shaped the space both in the U.S. and beyond. Since joining ESL as part of an acquisition in 2014, he has been instrumental to our success as the leading global esports company
Co-CEO and Founder Ralf Reichert said, “I could not be more excited to have Craig step into this role alongside me. Craig has been part of the ESL and broader esports family for many years, has been a key leader in shaping our growth and developing the organization globally. He loves ESL and esports as much as I do and it is a natural step to appoint him to help us continue driving our vision given his industry expertise, passion for our team and deep understanding of our strategy, products and fans.”
David Neichel, who was until now Co-CEO, will transition to a Senior Advisor to the CEOs. David will focus on regional business development and long-term development and investment cases to grow the ESL business. Neichel said: “I am immensely proud of the work done by the team for the last three years and extremely satisfied to hand over to Craig. I can’t think of any better leader than him to continue delivering the company transformation and bring it to the next level.”
Reichert said: “We are very thankful for the work done by David as a member of the leadership team, and his help bringing our organizational setup forward. We are glad to continue having David supporting our growth in his new role.”
Completing the leadership team, Stefan Beitz, was recently appointed as CFO at ESL. Beitz joins from ProSiebenSat.1 Media. He will succeed Arne Anders who decided to leave to pursue other career opportunities.
Reichert said: “We want to thank Arne for his role in supporting the professionalization of the ESL finance department over the past years and wish him all the best for the future. We are excited to welcome Stefan as CFO and look forward to him joining us on our journey to create a world where everybody can be somebody.”
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ESL is the world’s largest esports company. Founded in 2000, ESL has been shaping the industry across the most popular video games with numerous online and offline esports competitions. The company operates high profile, branded international leagues and tournaments under the ESL Pro Tour including ESL One, Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL Pro League, and other premier stadium-size tournaments, to more clearly define the path from zero to hero. ESL also produces the ESL National Championships, grassroots amateur cups, and matchmaking systems, creating a world where everybody can be somebody. With offices all over the world, ESL is leading esports innovation on a global scale through the combination of global ESL competitions, amateur leagues, publisher activations, and more. ESL is a part of MTG, the leading international digital entertainment group. eslfaceitgroup.com