G2 Esports expands team with two senior hires including new Chief Revenue Officer and Financial Director

23/06/2022
Alban Dechelotte, Irina Shames, Philippe Adam, Carlos 'ocelote’ Rodriguez

G2 Esports, one of the world’s most successful and distinctive esports organisations, today announces the appointment of two new hires. Irina Shames joins as new Chief Revenue Officer and Philippe Adam as Financial Director. The esports giant also sees the promotion of Alban Dechelotte to Chief Operating Officer. The news comes as G2 Esports continues its steady expansion with the recruitment of new talent supporting the ambitious growth plans of the business.

In Irina’s role as Chief Revenue Officer, she will be responsible for all aspects of global commercial growth at G2 with heavy focus on the company’s expansion in North America, as well as the monetization of gaming and esports as key pillars of entertainment. Irina brings extensive content, media and entertainment experience and held strategic revenue-driving posts in organisations from Berlin to London, and New York to Los Angeles. Throughout her career, she has been integral to both domestic and international multiplatform revenue growth for multiple prominent global media companies, such as Viacom and CNN International, along with a variety of successful startups. Most recently, Irina oversaw commercial strategy at a gaming entertainment company 3BLACKDOT, where she built and successfully executed the company’s  entire go-to-market strategy, opened new strategic revenue streams and created groundbreaking award winning content initiatives in partnership with some of the largest consumer facing brands. 

Philippe joins the company as Financial Director, where he will lead G2’s Controlling, Finance, HR & Legal teams, responsible for directing financial strategy, planning, and analysis for the company. Prior to joining G2 Esports, he was an investment professional at Oak Hill Capital Partners and Deva Capital in New York City. During his tenure at Oak Hill Capital, Philippe was a part of the firm’s Industrial Group, where he evaluated and executed multiple acquisitions, cumulatively totalling over $5 billion in enterprise value. Philippe also worked closely with the senior management of his firms’ portfolio companies to implement and deliver various strategic, financial, acquisitive and operating initiatives. 

The two new hires are supported by an internal promotion, with Alban Decelotte (previously General Manager at G2) taking up the position of Chief Operating Officer. In the new role, working closely with the CEO, Carlos Rodriguez, Alban will be responsible for leading the organisation’s operations as the company shapes up for further expansion and growth.

G2 is one of the world’s leading entertainment and most successful esports brands. In the past five years, G2 has built a global fanbase of over 45 million fans spanning EMEA, North American, Latin America and Asia Pacific. International household name brands are increasingly recognising the opportunities that esports can offer to tap into an engaged youth audience. G2 currently counts the likes of Ralph Lauren, adidas, New Era, BMW, Logitech G, Red Bull, Twitch, Pringles and Mastercard amongst its strategic commercial partners.

Irina Shames, Chief Revenue Officer at G2 Esports, comments: “G2 is a legendary esports brand with unparalleled rabid fandom and a futureproof business model. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with the founding and the executive team and spearhead all aspects of G2’s commercial growth, most notably in North America. We already work with the world’s most prominent brands, and I am confident in our plans to quickly dominate this massive market.”

Philippe Adam, Financial Director at G2 Esports, comments: “G2 has gone from being one of the world’s leading esports organisations to currently sitting at the intersection of gaming, digital, entertainment and Web3. I am extremely excited to join the organisation and help build on this momentum as G2 accelerates its transformation into the world’s leading gaming entertainment platform.”

Carlos ‘ocelote’ Rodriguez, CEO of G2 Esports, comments: “I am super proud to have Irina and Philippe join the business and delighted that Alban will be stepping into the role of Chief Operating Officer. We have massive ambitions for 2022 and beyond – all three talented individuals will play a massive role in achieving the future growth and success plans we have in the works. Nothing we’ve done to date would have been possible without all the very talented people I have been fortunate enough to work with during these past years – Many of which I still keep around as friends and mentors. Irina, Philippe and Alban will now form what I consider the most impressive management team out there in the world of esports. I’m both humbled and thrilled that they chose to deploy their trust in me and G2.”

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