League of Legends maker Riot Games has revealed that its global president, A. Dylan Jadeja, is going to be rising to CEO later this year.
In a blog post on its website, the company revealed that its current chief exec – Nicolo Laurent – is stepping down after six years in the top job.
Jadeja joined Riot back in 2011 as its chief financial officer before also becoming chief operations officer in 2016. The following year, he was promoted to president.
"Today, as we start our next chapter, I’m more excited than I’ve ever been about our future," Jadeja said.
"I truly believe that our success will depend on our ability to empower our creative heart while staying resolute on our mission for players, no matter how difficult the environment or the situation. As we face new challenges and opportunities, if we can stay true to this, I would bet on us to not only succeed, but to set a new bar for what’s possible for players.
"As we look to the transition, it would be disingenuous for me to suggest that I have all the answers and an action plan already defined. In fact, I’d argue that this would be inauthentic to who I am and how I work. Over the next few months, my intention is to use this transition window to listen and (re)learn. I want to engage with parts of Riot that I haven’t in some time, particularly on the product side. We’ve made a lot of changes in the past few years, and with your help, I’d like to take stock of where we are and get a deeper understanding of what's working and what we can do better. During this period, I’m going to ask for your patience, your willingness to share perspectives, and an openness to new ideas."
Laurent added: "I can imagine this news may feel sudden, but transparently, it’s a decision that’s been on my mind for a while. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a long and amazing journey with Riot. I joined the company when we were a 40-person startup in 2009, with the goal of bringing League of Legends to players around the world. And that journey has brought me here, serving all of you, as Riot’s CEO. It’s a story I’m very proud of, but if I’m being completely honest, it’s also been tough. Not the grind, the hours, the stress…I’ve grown a tank build, so I can handle that part. It's really the personal trade-offs that have been hard and the sacrifices my wife and kids have made for my career, including all our expatriations. We’ve always been ok with this as a family, as long as we rebalance at some point. Now is that time. Especially since we miss France so much, and want to move back."
