G2 Esports appoints Esports Veteran Henning Christiansson as Commercial Director

G2 Esports, one of the world’s leading entertainment and esports brands, announces a new appointment to its leadership team as Henning Christiansson joins as Commercial Director. The organisation is also introducing a new Director level to the leadership structure, signalling a new era in G2’s strategic growth as it fortifies its commercial success.

As the organisation continues to expand, G2’s mission is to ensure that its leaders are guiding the way across all internal departments, while preserving and strengthening the existing culture, and allowing all teams to have the support they need. Joining the newly appointed Director of Esports at G2, Julius Ylänne, Henning will lead the organisation’s commercial efforts to accelerate growth as the company diversifies its revenues. G2 already boasts an impressive string of long-term partnerships with some of the world’s most recognisable brands including Red Bull, Ralph Lauren, Mastercard and Jägermeister.

From 2022 to 2023, the esports industry has grown from $3.2bn to $3.8bn and is expected to reach $4.3bn in 2024. Over the next four years, the industry is projected to show an annual growth rate of 7.1% with a total market volume of $5.7bn by 2029*.

Following 5 years of commercial growth and global expansion, G2 has introduced a Director level which sits below the C-Suite, strengthening the leadership team and providing a stronger support line to department heads, leads, and managers across the organisation globally. Over the next few months, G2 will be adding a Finance Director and a Marketing Director to strengthen its leadership team with ambitious risk-takers, driven by the idea of achieving greatness together and creating impact beyond G2 Esports.

The new Director level structure comes following a period of global expansion for the organisation. Beyond its historic competitive dominance in the biggest leagues in Europe, including League of Legends and Counter-Strike 2, it fields top performing rosters in North America in Rocket League, Call of Duty (Minnesota RØKKR), and most recently VALORANT, securing a slot in VCT Americas for 2024. In Asia, G2 Esports is now represented by G2 Blacklist in Wild Rift, based in the Philippines, and G2.iG in Dota 2 in China.

A gaming technology and esports veteran, Henning will bring a wealth of experience in esports partnerships as former Global Commercial Manager for Esports & Pro Series at Logitech G. Before his time at Logitech, Henning was the Global Project Manager at the world’s largest gaming and lifestyle company, DreamHack – ESL Faceit Group, and the Nordic & Baltics Marketing Manager for gaming peripherals and accessories company, SteelSeries. His background in partnerships, marketing, and agency experience gives him a unique perspective on commercial partnership management as Commercial Director at G2.

Sabrina Ratih, Chief Operating Officer, G2 Esports commented: “Henning’s arrival not only fortifies our leadership team but also injects a fresh perspective into our commercial endeavours. Looking ahead to long-term growth we are aiming to make smart, sustainable decisions that enable us to keep moving forward as a global organisation and diversify our revenue streams. By introducing new leadership levels to the team, we are adding an even stronger strategic backbone, more mentorship and more support to our staff – and Henning’s appointment is very much a part of this process.”

Henning Christiansson, Commercial Director, G2 Esports commented: “What makes G2 such a compelling proposition for brands and partners is its ability to engage and entertain arguably the most diverse audience in esports. G2 is competitively dominant in Europe, China, and North America, but its fans are captivated regardless of whether its teams win or lose, which is rare. I’m joining an ambitious and creative team that’s never satisfied with the status quo, and I see this as an incredible opportunity to fortify G2’s commercial success, and to continue raising the bar with trusted partners at our side.”