The Singapore-based Global Esports Federation (GEF) has detailed the members of its Brand, Marketing, Commercial and Communication Commission.

The commission will be led by Lorenzo Giorgetti, GEF Board Member and Chief Commercial Officer of top-flight Italian football club A.C. Milan. 

Commenting on his appointment, Giorgetti said:

“The Global Esports Federation convenes the stakeholders in the world’s dynamic esports community from different backgrounds, geographies and business models.

“I look forward to engaging with the world’s commercial brands – established and those emerging – and the market at large to bring tremendous value to the GEF and our worldwide properties.”

Several other senior sports industry executives are also on the board, including:

• Jerry Ling, chief of staff, World Taekwondo
• Chris Overholt, president and CEO, OverActive Media Group (parent company of MAD Lions, Toronto Defiant, and Toronto Ultra)
• Peter Zeytoonjian, senior vice president, United States Olympic and Paralympic Properties
• Yasuhiro Nakamori, director, sport department, Japanese Olympic Committee
• Ali Kiremitcioglu, executive board member, National Olympic Committee of Turkey
• Anne Kelly Aikman, international sports marketer, former vice president in marketing at the International Olympic Committee
• Marco Nazzari, managing director, international, Nielsen Sports

Backed by Chinese conglomerate Tencent, the GEF launched last year to “convene the world’s esports ecosystem.” Reflecting its ambitious intentions, last month the GEF entered an exploratory partnership with the Commonwealth Games Federation. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Though the GEF undoubtedly has some extremely talented and influential people onboard, one has to question if allowing itself to be so dominated by Olympic and former Olympic executives is really the best thing. 

While Olympic athletes are widely respected, the International Olympic Committee, which has attracted persistent allegations of corruption and cronyism, doesn’t exactly have the best public image.

This, coupled with the GEF’s close connections to Tencent, could well cause much of the esports world to reject its attempts to build a cohesive, standardised global esports ecosystem. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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