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Esports team Immortals founder Noah Whinston has left his job as CEO to become executive chairman. COO Ari Segal succeeds him in the top management role.

Whinston founded the team in 2015, and has emerged as one of the best-known executives in the rapidly growing industry. He’s secured several major investors, including AEG and Lionsgate, and landed a charter franchise in the Overwatch League under the team name LA Valiant . Segal joined in Oct. 2017 after a stint as COO of the NHL Coyotes.

Whinston said the change will allow him to spend all of his time building the Immortals brand, communicating with fans, evangelizing for the industry and helping develop the broader esports ecosystem, while letting Segal run the shop.

“I have so much faith and trust in Ari around his ability to not just execute strategy, but his ability to develop it on its own,” Whinston said. “Giving him that added level of autonomy is important to me, and the board.”

Board member Peter Levin said Segal was hired with the intention of eventually making him the CEO and he enjoys the board’s enthusiastic trust in the position. “Noah will be no less involved than he is now, it will just be in a more forward-leaning, outward messaging role,” Levin said.

This story was written by Ben Fischer for Sports Business Daily, where this article appeared first.