The Esports Foundation (EF, former Esports World Cup Foundation) has appointed Isabella Hislop as its new Director of Commercial Planning. Reporting to Chief Commercial Officer Mohammad Al Nimer, Hislop is tasked with structuring the commercial infrastructure for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and the Esports Nations Cup (ENC).
According to Hislop, the move is designed to integrate traditional sports commerciality into the foundation’s multi-title competitive ecosystem, aiming to drive global fan retention.
The appointment follows a five-year tenure for Hislop at Chelsea Football Club, where she most recently led the commercial strategy for Chelsea FC Women. Her transition to the EWCF comes as the organisation seeks to scale its revenue models across multiple markets and titles simultaneously. Hislop’s background is multidisciplinary, having previously served as Legal Counsel for Chelsea.
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“EF has built two global competition structures across multiple titles, markets and fan communities at once,” wrote Hislop. “My new role sits across how that works commercially; merch, ticketing, hosp, partnerships, media rights, and the fan experience that turns a tournament into something people travel for, talk about and come back to.”
The hiring of Hislop continues a recent recruitment trend for the Riyadh-based foundation. Two months ago, the EF secured former G2 Esports media leader Sasha Alexandrov as Director of Content and Brian Krämer as Director of Product for the ENC.
By recruiting a “recovering commercial lawyer” with experience in large-scale sports acquisitions and cross-border IP arrangements, the EWCF is positioning itself to handle the regulatory and commercial demands of its 2026 calendar. Earlier this year, the foundation stated its focus on turning its competition structures into sustainable business properties through attracting non-endemic brands and increasing ticket sales, two elements to be directly approached by Hislop in her new role.
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