The British Esports Federation has strengthened its senior team with the hiring of a Commercial Vice President and a Business Development Manager, two of four new appointments announced this month.
Leading the commercial efforts is the new Commercial Vice President, Stephen Gallagher, who brings experience from senior marketing roles, including a position as marketing director for virtual production technology firm Mo-Sys Engineering. On his appointment, Gallagher stated, “I’m delighted to join the British Esports Federation as Commercial Vice President. I can’t wait to get started, working with a talented team to help drive the continued growth and success of British Esports, championing the incredible potential of this industry and the people within it.”
Joining him is Ashleigh Mattinson as the new Business Development Manager. Mattinson has a background in business development within the renewables industry and possesses extensive connections across the North East. She commented on the initial interest in the campus, saying, “We’re already seeing lots of interest in our beautiful Grade II listed rentals, commercial office spaces and conference facilities here in the heart of Sunderland.” She described her role as an opportunity to “contribute to the growth of the UK’s esports ecosystem, helping to create partnerships [and] develop new initiatives.”
The national body is expanding its team to increase commercial and events activity at its National Esports Performance Campus (NEPC) in Sunderland, with a focus on driving partnerships and utilising the facility’s diverse spaces.
This personnel expansion is part of a strategy to grow the number of activities and opportunities for guests and sponsors at the headquarters. The campus features gaming houses with accommodation, alongside commercial offices and conference facilities. A significant future development is a 15,000 sq ft national Gaming and Esports Arena, scheduled to open in 2026, which will provide a 200-seat theatre for tournaments and audience events.
The federation also announced the appointments of Louis Skilton as a Graduate Intern and Meredith Brady as an Operations Executive, who will support the organisation’s events and programmes, including the British Esports Student Champs.
British Esports President Chester King said the new team members arrive at an “important moment in our growth, as we prepare for our next phase of operations and arena launch next year.” This follows the appointment of Joel Lavery as VP of Strategic Partnerships and Major Events in September 2025, underscoring a period of sustained investment in the federation’s leadership team.
Follow The Esports Radar on social media:
