UK esports organisation Guild Esports have announced CEO and co-founder Kal Hourd has taken the personal decision to step down from the board and leave the company.
Kal Hourd will depart Guild in January 1st 2023, when his replacement Jasmine Skee will be promoted to CEO and director.
Kal has been with Guild since July 2019, ahead of Guild’s main announcement in 2020 of David Beckham joining as a co-owner.
Jasmine Skee currently holds the position of chief marketing officer and brings more than 20 years of experience across sport, entertainment, telecoms and media. She joined Guild in March 2022 and has worked closely with Guild’s board, ‘playing a leading role in the delivery of key partnerships including Sky UK and the launch of Guild College with SCL Education‘.
Previously, Jasmine Skee served as director of propositions & products at Three UK, where she delivered partnerships with brands such as Chelsea FC, Activision and Snap. She was also marketing director at Live Nation Entertainment, where she developed the brand’s marketing strategy for the UK, and head of music sponsorship at O2 UK, where she worked to launch and manage the O2 Priority ticketing programme.
Guild have also announced that Jocelin Caldwell has been appointed a non-executive director with immediate effect. She replaces Mike Edwards, who is stepping down from the board due to time commitments at his other business interests.
Jocelin Caldwell is a co-founder of Guild Esports and was previously its COO, where she provided executive leadership and oversaw strategic HR planning. She is a former VP of operations at professional training company WCG Services.
“Having established a strong revenue base and a tighter cost structure, the goal set out when I became CEO to build a top global esports organisation has now been accomplished. It is therefore time to pass on the baton. I am thrilled by Jasmine’s appointment and will be cheering her on from the sidelines.”
Kal Hourd
Guild also intend to strengthen the board with a non-executive director appointment.
Derek Lew, non-executive chairman of Guild Esports, commented: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Kal for his leadership, under which Guild has grown from a start-up to a leading global esports brand partnered with world-renowned brands including Samsung, Subway, Coca-Cola and Sky, with an engaged audience and headquartered in the state-of-the-art Sky Guild Gaming Centre.
“With the first phase of Guild’s growth complete, he has taken the decision to step down. I would also like to thank Mike for his excellent work and trusted counsel. I wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
“Jasmine’s appointment opens an exciting new chapter for Guild, as we look to continue the positive growth momentum generated by the partnership deals signed with iconic global brands this year. Jasmine has developed a deep knowledge of sport, music, entertainment and media over her career, and we are confident she is the right person to spearhead the next stage of the company’s long-term commercial strategy. I am also delighted to welcome Jocelin to the board, where her esports sector experience will enhance the board’s strategic oversight of the company.”
Outgoing CEO Kal Hourd commented: “The signing of several major deals this year, including one of the largest in European esports history, marks a significant personal milestone for me. Having established a strong revenue base and a tighter cost structure, the goal set out when I became CEO to build a top global esports organisation has now been accomplished. It is therefore time to pass on the baton. I am thrilled by Jasmine’s appointment and will be cheering her on from the sidelines.”
Earlier this year, Guild Esports posted a £5m loss.
Elsewhere, some former Guild Esports executives, like Carleton Curtis and Danny Lopez are at another London-based esports org: Tundra Esports, who recently won The International.
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.
