Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO of the North American esports organization Evil Geniuses (EG), has officially stepped down from her role, after spending four years between success and controversy.

Image Credits | Evil Geniuses Youtube

The new EG CEO will be Chris DeAppolonio

Jameson became EG CEO when private equity firm PEAK6 acquired the esports org back in May 2019. Under her guidance, the brand successfully collaborated with brands such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HP) and Thunderpick. She was the first Black woman to lead an esports organization. EG recently won the VALORANT Champions Tour, beating Paper Rex in the decisive match.

The now-former EG CEO announced her departure through a LinkedIn post, stating that it ‘feels fitting’ to announce her departure now, and expressed gratitude and appreciation for the company and its staff.

“All I can feel is immense appreciation for the opportunity to shake up the esports and gaming world alongside an incredible group of innovators, disruptors, athletes, and creators,” Jameson said in her post.

The new interim CEO will be Chris DeAppolonio, who previously worked as Evil Geniuses’ Chief Innovation Officer, with Jameson moving to an advisory role. Prior to joining the organization in August 2020, DeAppolonio spent stints as a president or partnerships executive for other esports brands such as the Houston Outlaws, OpTic Gaming, and Obey Alliance.

Jameson said her final day as CEO was ‘coming up’ in September, but she didn’t specify the date it would happen. Moreover, she did not reveal what she would be doing next.

Controversy around Jameson and EG

Despite its great competitive success, the organization was hit by various scandals during Jameson’s tenure. Earlier in March, it was revealed that Evil Geniuses showed a repeated lack of care for their LoL ADC Kyle ‘Danny’ Sakamaki, according to a report by Richard Lewis from Dexerto. The organization ended up being under serious scrutiny which also brought Riot Games to start an investigation. In an interview with Digiday, Jameson said she would not apologise for the situation:

We — myself or EG — have still not received any actual complaints from Danny or his family around this. Danny even posted on Twitter himself that he did not feel mistreated and had a good experience. So I know that’s been a divide; I know people want an apology. But, as of now, I have nothing to apologize for.”

Jameson will still have a relationship with EG, considering the equity she has inside the company. That said, she mentioned she won’t be influencing the company much: “Trying to make sure everyone’s stable, and that I’m not a blocker to anyone feeling empowered to go into the next stage of EG, is my priority.”

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