OverActive Media has announced the employment of two key hires in Mike Armstrong and Paulo Senra, who are joining from Google and DAZN respectively.

The parent company of Splyce, Toronto Defiant, and Montreal Rebellion is planning to employ 44 full-time staff members in the near future.

Mike Armstrong, Brand Strategy Lead at Google Canada will board the company as its Vice President, Head of Marketing from March. His experience includes consulting for Fortune 100 companies, leading content marketing and sales groups, and overseeing brands and businesses.

Armstrong commented: “There’s an undeniable and profound shift that has happened which has changed the face of what sport is and more importantly, what pastimes matter most to Millennial and Gen Zs. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside this talented group building both a winning organization and new loved pro-sports franchises.”

Paulo Senra has also boarded the company as its Vice President of Content and Communications following his role of Head of Public Relations at DAZN. Through his previous place of employment, he worked with the NFL, MLS, UEFA, and other sports properties.

Senra also discussed his new venture: “My job everyday is to think up and execute ways in which we can continue to shrink the gap between esports and traditional sport,” said Senra. “Our objective is to have esports, and the work our team is doing, be on the minds of Canadians as often as possible.”

Chris Overholt, President & CEO of OverActive Media added: “We are building a leading global esports organization, and adding Mike and Paulo to our Senior Management Team will contribute greatly to those ambitions,” added Overholt. “Individually, both gentlemen bring with them industry-leading skills and experiences to their roles and they will each be responsible for building out and leading a team of talented marketers and content creators to communicate and grow our brand in a digital-first, globally diverse esports world.”

Earlier today, OverActive Media confirmed it had laid off six employees from its sales and marketing departments following an organisational restructure.

Esports Insider says: The timing is a tad unfortunate considering the recent layoffs, but that aside, these hires seem great for OverActive Media. The variety and depth of experience from both Armstrong and Senra will likely bring a lot of value to the company.

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