(Image via GameSquare Esports Inc.)
In 2020, Forbes magazine listed FaZe Clan as the 4th most valuable esports company worth $305 million (USD) - a rich figure attained thanks in large part to its Chief Financial Officer at the time, Justin Kenna.
Now he has leveled up his game coming into
GameSquare Esports Inc. (CSE: GSQ, Forum) as their new Chief Executive Officer and board member.
In the formal
January 2021 news release for investors, he expressed not only his excitement to join the team at GameSquare but optimism that he could elevate this operation to become a valuable gaming brand like he helped accomplish with FaZe Clan.
“I am impressed with the assets that [GameSquare President] Kevin and the GameSquare team have acquired and I look forward to supporting its portfolio companies to accelerate profitable, organic growth. GameSquare is on a great path and I look forward to continuing the work of building a leading gaming and esports organization with the talented people at Code Red, and, upon completion of the previously announced acquisition, Reciprocity and its subsidiary, the Gaming Community Network.”
He brings to the table considerable experience in esports, digital media, and digital agencies in the United States and Australia and has deep expertise in finance, strategy, and operations. He also joins FaZe Clan’s former SVP of media and partnerships, esports veteran Jan Neumeister, who also joined GameSquare earlier this month.
Prior to his time with FaZe Clan, Justin Kenna
(pictured at left, image via LinkedIn) worked in various roles at
Ernst & Young,
Deloitte, as well as Sydney-based
RAMS, Optimist Inc., over the last 17 years. He was previously the Director of Finance at
Madison + Vine, a next-gen creative studio, and is also a Chartered Professional Accountant and received a Bachelor of Business, Accountancy from the
RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.
GameSquare President, Kevin Wright explained that Justin Kenna’s appointment as CEO is a testament to the quality of business the Company is building and the calibre of talent we are attracting.
“Justin was instrumental in growing FaZe Clan into one of the world’s biggest gaming brands and he has tremendous experience in areas that will be critical to GameSquare’s continued success. I look forward to working with him as we collaborate on strategy and continue to build a leading organization that can monetize trends within gaming and esports, which is in the early innings of growth.”
The news on his appointment already provided a healthy bump in GSQ’s stock chart, which had increased more than 70% since the month began.
(GameSquare Esports Inc. stock chart Dec 2020 – Jan 2021. Click to enlarge.)
GameSquare has also granted Justin Kenna a total of two million stock options, per the Company’s stock option plan. The stock options will be granted in equal quarterly installments over two years and may be exercised at a price of $0.44 per option for a period of five years from the date of grant, still pending approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange.
An international esports Company with established merit, Stockhouse Editorial has covered GameSquare before and has taken a deeper look into its business operations to acquire additional assets and entities serving the esports market and, more broadly, in sports and entertainment.
Acquisitions such as its move to acquire esports talent agency,
Code Red Ltd., provided an initial foothold in Europe through its UK operations. Code Red represents leading on-screen talent, players, and influencers and works with leading global brands to develop influencer campaigns and esports marketing strategies.
Business moves such as the Code Red acquisition are not easy and to maximize the full potential of what this means in the esports space, a true master of the gaming scene, who also has solid business experience, is needed. When Toronto-based GameSquare Esports Inc. decided to bring Justin Kenna on board and he agreed to make the move, it was their first step into an even bigger arena.
To find out more, visit
GameSquare.com.
FULL DISCLOSURE: This is a paid article produced by Stockhouse Publishing.