The British Esports Federation has promoted three members of its existing staff to Vice President positions, as the organisation continues to expand in the run-up to opening its British Arena later this year.
The three promotions are:
- Alice Whorley, who moves from Head of Operations to VP of Operations. Her role now covers operational oversight of all British Esports facilities, including the upcoming British Arena, which is due to open in late summer 2026.
- Kalam Neale, who moves from Head of Education to VP of Education, Skills and Innovation. He will continue overseeing education work while also taking on responsibility for coaching and education support services.
- Zuhrah Samim, who moves from Group Human Resources Manager to VP of People & Culture. Her role focuses on supporting staff through the organisation’s current period of growth.
Alice Whorley has been with British Esports for close to ten years. She started as a volunteer in 2018, helping run the pilot for the organisation’s Student Champs programme, before joining full-time in early 2019. Since then she has taken on senior leadership responsibilities and co-founded the Women in Esports initiative.
Kalam Neale began working part-time for British Esports in 2019 and moved into a full-time role in 2022. During that time, he has helped build out the organisation’s education programmes, working with partners such as Pearson, the Leadership Skills Foundation and UK Coaching.
Zuhrah Samim joined British Esports a year ago and has been working on the organisation’s HR processes, workplace culture and employee wellbeing.
The promotions come as British Esports expands across several areas. The organisation says it has seen increased demand for its National Esports Performance Campus, as well as its gaming houses and The Place accommodation and office space in Sunderland. It is also placing esports facilities in primary schools as part of efforts to improve pupil engagement and attendance, and remains part of the group representing Great Britain at the Esports Nations Cup.
The most visible part of this expansion is the British Arena, a new venue intended to host international esports events in the UK, set to open in late summer 2026. To staff the new venue and its associated accommodation, British Esports is currently recruiting for several front-of-house, venue operations and hospitality roles, alongside a marketing executive position.
These latest appointments follow a series of other hires and promotions at British Esports over the past year, including Alice Dearing as new Co-Vice Chair, Stephen Gallagher as new Commercial Vice President and Joel Lavery as its new Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Major Events.
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