Update (Feb 2021): Robin is no longer at Excel as CCO.
Update on the BT deal (January 10th 2020):
Excel have signed a new multi-year contract with BT.
The broadcaster and media giant has become Excel’s exclusive lead partner and will see BT branding prominent on all kit worn by Excel’s League of Legends European Championship (LEC) and UK League Championship (UKLC) teams.
Excel’s UKLC team will now be officially renamed to BT Excel.
Excel’s 2020 jersey will feature in an upcoming BT campaign and be made available for the public to purchase from the Excel Esports merchandise shop at excelesports.com from today.
BT will also provide tech to Excel to help them train and perform.
The full Excel team will wear the BT kit for the first time this weekend at the Neosurf Cup at Twickenham Stadium, which is also home to Excel’s HQ and training facility.
Robin McCammon, Chief Commercial Officer, Excel Esports, commented: “BT is an absolutely iconic British brand that resonates globally and we can’t think of a better fit as a lead Partner to help elevate Excel to the next level.
“This is a sponsorship that will reach beyond the conventional sponsorship formula.”
Robin McCammon, Excel Esports CCO
BT is about connectivity and community and that is exactly what Excel and esports in general is all about. Having such a recognisable brand commit to a long term partnership really shows the strength of the UK esports industry and the growth of Excel.”
Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director at BT, said: “The UK is increasingly a nation of gamers, and esports is hugely popular and growing across the world. Excel Esports shows incredible promise as a leading UK-based team and working closely with them is a natural extension of our commitment to provide the connectivity and skills to help people across the UK realise their potential.”
Original article on new senior management (published January 7th 2020):
UK-based esports organisation Excel Esports, who field a League of Legends team in the LEC, have hired a new chief executive officer and chief commercial officer.
Wouter Sleijffers (pictured left) who worked as Fnatic’s CEO for four years, joins as Excel’s new CEO, while Adidas’ former director of global sports marketing, Robin McCammon (right), has joined Excel as chief commercial officer.
Excel Esports say they’ve brought on Wouter and Robin to help realise its ambition of ‘becoming a globally recognised esports brand with its roots in Britain’.
In doing so, Excel Esports’ existing senior management has shifted. The organisation was founded in 2014 by brothers Joel Holmes-Darby and Kieran Holmes-Darby.
Joel has become chief people officer and Kieran has taken the role of chief gaming officer.
Robin enters the esports industry for the first time with his move to Excel Esports, having spent over 20 years in the sports and lifestyle industries, 18 of which were spent at the sportswear brand Adidas.
During his time at adidas, he was the global lead of the World Cup 2014 project, 2012 UEFA Euro and was responsible for Adidas’ relationships with the likes of FIFA, Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC.
Wouter, meanwhile, joins the team as an experienced industry figurehead. In his four years at Fnatic, Sleijffers oversaw its transition from esports organisation to global lifestyle brand. He’s also worked in a series of advisory roles for brands including Socios.com, Maika’i Copenhagen, Aggero and more.
“Excel Esports is the most beloved brand in UK esports, and I’m delighted to take up this new challenge of building the organisation into a household name on a global scale,” said Wouter Sleijffers, CEO at Excel Esports.
“My experience helping create one of the most established brands in the industry meant I recognised Excel’s extraordinary potential immediately, and I’m thrilled to be helping chart its course to become an international success.”
Wouter Sleijffers, Excel Esports CEO
Robin McCammon, Excel CCO, added: “In Excel, the boldest British esports brand, I have found a tremendous opportunity to leverage my experience in the sport and lifestyle world to build something truly new with the team that goes beyond what’s expected of an esports organisation.
“I’m delighted to join the fastest growing entertainment sector with such an immensely ambitious and disruptive company, and I very much look forward to getting my teeth into establishing Excel as a world leader in the esports space.”
Excel chief people officer Joel Holmes-Darby commented: “I am extremely excited to be welcoming Wouter and Robin to our leadership team. They both bring with them valuable experience that will help us take Excel to the next level and we anticipate them having an immediate impact on our strategic thinking and operational effectiveness.
“I have never felt so enthusiastic before going into a new calendar year and the future of Excel is looking incredibly bright as we get set for our second Season in the LEC.”
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
