He was once an Islander, but now he's a Spark.
February 9, 2022
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
Author: Evil Geniuses
Edwards Brings More than 20 Years Experience to Evil Geniuses as He Takes Over as Leader of the Company’s Industry-Leading Partnerships Team
SEATTLE, Feb. 9, 2022 - Leading global esports and gaming entertainment brand Evil Geniuses (EG) has hired former New York Islanders executive Leonard (Leo) Edwards as the company’s Vice President and Head of Global Partnerships. Edwards will lead Evil Geniuses’ Sales division, including its unmatched partnerships team, and is the latest to move to the company from a traditional sports team following the arrival of EG’s Director of Corporate Partnerships Caroline Young from the Los Angeles Sparks and Partnerships Manager Daryl Vales from the Los Angeles Lakers.
As the Vice President and Head of Global Partnerships at EG, Edwards will oversee the entirety of the company’s sales initiatives, including new partnerships, sponsorships, and commercial sales opportunities. With more than 20 years of experience in partnerships and sales, Edwards will leverage his experience to grow EG’s brand awareness and reputation through new and existing relationships with brands that share Evil Geniuses' vision and values for gaming and esports. These values include EG’s focus on creating, nurturing and sustaining an inclusive global gaming community for all and producing unforgettable entertainment experiences for that fandom while ensuring the spirit of competition is always at the company’s core.
“Evil Geniuses has created the premier destination for brands looking to break into esports by building a values-led brand that is welcoming to all,” said Leonard Edwards, Vice President and Head of Global Partnerships at Evil Geniuses. “Nicole LaPointe Jameson is a fierce leader with big goals for this organization. As the new leader of the sales team, I look forward to contributing to those goals by expanding EG’s global commercial footprint through clever initiatives with brands that share our undeterred commitment to excellence in everything that we do.”
Edwards comes to Evil Geniuses from the popular National Hockey League (NHL) team, the New York Islanders, where he served as the former Vice President of Partnership Sales and secured partnerships for the team and USB Arena with Hyundai USA, McDonalds, and Enterprise. Before then, Edwards had roles with companies and professional sports teams, such as the Prudential Center, the New Jersey Devils, NASCAR, Orlando Magic, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Arizona Coyotes. Edwards also has a deep understanding of the esports and gaming industry, having previously been a leader on the corporate partnership team for esports organization Dignitas.
“Leonard Edwards is a decorated executive in the sports world that we’re extremely happy to welcome to the Evil Geniuses family,” said Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO of Evil Geniuses. “His deep knowledge of the sports and gaming world, along with his expertise in leading highly successful sales teams, makes him the perfect fit to lead Evil Geniuses commercial initiatives into the future and further solidify Evil Geniuses as the top choice for brands looking to break into esports for the first time.”
For more information on Evil Geniuses, follow the organization on Twitter at @EvilGeniuses or visit the EG newspage at https://evilgeniuses.gg/news/.
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About Evil Geniuses
We are a global esports powerhouse fueled by clever disruptors that exist to challenge convention and carve the edge of the gaming and entertainment universe. By activating the strength of our values, the power of our proprietary tech, and the genius of our people, we are expanding the definition of what it means to win. We build champions and create inspiring and entertaining gaming experiences for all as we welcome everyone to #LiveEvil.
From the very first day we were founded in 1999, we have made moves that go against the grain, earning us 180+ championship wins, $25 million in tournament prizes, and 1 billion minutes viewed on Twitch in 2021 alone. As one of the original firestarters of this industry, we are equally proud of the long list of “firsts” we have achieved that have propelled the industry forward, including first esports sponsorship; first formal collegiate program; first medically-staffed training and wellness program; first non-binary and transgender content creators signed; and first female BIPOC CEO.
Our roster of professional players and talent within our “Creator Collective'' include League of Legends 2021 Rookie of the Year Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki and rising star Joseph “Jojopyun” Joon Pyun; Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree and fighting games champion SonicFox; fighting game champion and longest tenured EG player Ricki Ortiz; and popular TikTok personality ARUUU, who has more than 1.1 million fans on the platform.
We are proudly headquartered in Seattle with facilities in Los Angeles and have a worldwide fandom of more than 12 million strong.
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