Team Vitality hires former adidas France head as Co-CEO

French esports organization Team Vitality have hired a new managing director and co-CEO to aid in their global expansion.

Sports apparel veteran Guillaume de Monplanet has been appointed to the leadership position, bringing over 20 years of experience from companies like adidas and Reebok.

Most recently, he served as the managing director for adidas France for the past eight years. He was responsible for the entire national division, including over 700 employees.

Having already established presence in Germany and India, Team Vitality are aiming to make a name for themselves outside of their home nation of France. Monplanet’s expertise in brand management and growth are said to be pivotable in realizing the organization’s lofty ambitions.

Nicolas Maurer, a co-founder of the org, will transition from serving as CEO to Co-CEO alongside Monplanet. Under the leadership of Maurer, Vitality have partnered with major brands like adidas, Aldi, Orange, and Philips.

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“With Reebok and adidas I was very fortunate to grow and cater for two of the most influential global youth culture brands,” said Monplanet. “Rooted in esports, I believe Vitality has the potential to be part of that group of brands. What the team has achieved in just 8 years is amazing.

“The level of talent and creativity demonstrated every day at V.Hive and Stade de France, as well as at our international premises, is just stunning. I am looking forward to exploring a new industry and hope my business and leadership expertise will help Team Vitality reach new heights globally.”

While perhaps best known for their team in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, a French roster that have been battling for the top spot for years, Team Vitality have plenty more happening.

They also compete in Riot Games’ Valorant and League of Legends, Rocket League, Fortnite, FIFA, and Rainbow Six Siege. In an effort to grow internationally, they signed four Indian content creators in December 2020.