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McLaren Adds Inaugural Director Of eSports
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McLaren has underlined its commitment to the esports platform with the appointment of Ben Payne as the company’s new director of esports.
Payne joins the company from Microsoft, where he held roles in third-party marketing, partnerships and events for Xbox EMEA, as well as working on global campaigns for Windows. Prior to Microsoft, Payne held positions at SEGA, 2K Games and Future.
Payne joins McLaren on November 13, arriving just as the company’s prestigious esports racing contest, World’s Fastest Gamer, enters its final week of competition. After months of qualifying rounds, 12 finalists will converge on McLaren’s Woking headquarters to battle for the opportunity to become one of the team’s 2018 simulator drivers.
McLaren was the first Formula 1 team to announce its own esports property in April this year. Payne’s appointment means that McLaren also becomes the first team in the sport to create a dedicated position for an eSports director.
In this new role, Payne will oversee the growth and development of McLaren’s esports strategy, including all aspects of the World’s Fastest Gamer program. Additionally, he will lead the development of the WFG partner community, activating gaming partnerships across retail, media partnerships and key industry events.
“Gaming and esports are two huge and exciting markets, and we believe that they’re essential elements of McLaren’s new marketing platform. The growth and appeal of gaming, and its close relationship to motorsport and Formula 1, makes this a natural area of expansion for us,” Executive Director, McLaren Technology Group Zak Brown said.
Payne joins the company from Microsoft, where he held roles in third-party marketing, partnerships and events for Xbox EMEA, as well as working on global campaigns for Windows. Prior to Microsoft, Payne held positions at SEGA, 2K Games and Future.
Payne joins McLaren on November 13, arriving just as the company’s prestigious esports racing contest, World’s Fastest Gamer, enters its final week of competition. After months of qualifying rounds, 12 finalists will converge on McLaren’s Woking headquarters to battle for the opportunity to become one of the team’s 2018 simulator drivers.
McLaren was the first Formula 1 team to announce its own esports property in April this year. Payne’s appointment means that McLaren also becomes the first team in the sport to create a dedicated position for an eSports director.
In this new role, Payne will oversee the growth and development of McLaren’s esports strategy, including all aspects of the World’s Fastest Gamer program. Additionally, he will lead the development of the WFG partner community, activating gaming partnerships across retail, media partnerships and key industry events.
“Gaming and esports are two huge and exciting markets, and we believe that they’re essential elements of McLaren’s new marketing platform. The growth and appeal of gaming, and its close relationship to motorsport and Formula 1, makes this a natural area of expansion for us,” Executive Director, McLaren Technology Group Zak Brown said.
