Singapore — Singapore-based Esports company Ampverse is preparing for accelerated growth, expansion into Indonesia and the Philippines, and development of its new Web3 business unit with a series of new hires and promotions within its senior leadership team. The updates include Tine Hansen as head of commercial partnerships; Thomas Jouanno as head of marketing and D2C; meanwhile, Robert Gaxiola is appointed as head of creative; and Jenny Hall is named as head of strategic partnership.

Following a successful US$12m Series A fundraiser earlier this year, Ampverse plans to strengthen and scale several key business units, including commercial, web3, marketing and strategic partnerships.

Hansen is a senior commercial executive with over 10 years of experience in the entertainment industry, focusing on IP and branded content. Hansen has worked across Europe, the US, Latin America, and APAC, holding director-level positions at the likes of Sony Pictures and NBC Universal.

Meanwhile, Jouanno is a digital and tech entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience in digital marketing, e-commerce, data analytics, and product monetization. He has built and successfully exited several companies and previously served as president and CMO for Atmosol.

On the other hand, Gaxiola is a globally recognized and multi-awarded creative leader who will spearhead Ampverse’s creative direction and product evolution into original content and Web3 including bespoke metaverse experiences. He joins from Something Else, the digital content and NFT studio for the publishers Vogue, Esquire and Robb Report having previously held roles including executive creative director at Ogilvy & Mather.

A seasoned veteran with over 15 years of experience in business development and brand partnerships, Hall has been promoted to lead the company’s new strategic partnership business unit. She will develop new commercial products and partnerships across the group’s portfolio of IP.

Charlie Baillie, chief strategy officer of Ampverse, said, “When you’re building an innovative company in such a dynamic sector as gaming and diverse region as Southeast Asia and India, a world-class team is vital to realise the scale of our ambition. The latest additions to the management team all have their unique strengths but also share common traits – they are entrepreneurial, passionate, self-driven, and not afraid to challenge the norm.”

Over the last year, Ampverse increased its headcount from 60 to more than 100 employees and saw revenue grow during the same time period. Its portfolio of leading esports IP includes Thai esports brands Bacon, MiTH, and many more. 

Mumbai, India — Kulfi Collective’s global animation and motion design vertical, Post Office Studios, has announced a series of hires to its innovative and dynamic crew of designers, animators, visual effects artists and new media tech experts. The appointments are Kushal Bhor and Prasad Kelkar to the position of creative director; Joydeep Chowdhury to associate creative director; Taher Merchant as lead of brand partnerships; and Kedar Thapar as executive producer. Meanwhile, Aunnesha Sen has been elevated to executive producer.

Bhor is multi-talented and diversely experienced in animation, 3D design, videography, visual design, video production and video animation. He has previously worked as a creative head at a boutique production house. As part of the creative director’s panel at Post Office, he will not only lead projects but also nurture upcoming talents at the studio.

Meanwhile, Kelkar has also been appointed a creative director. His role will see him focus on providing top-notch design solutions, animation, and motion design projects to clients. He will oversee the work of both internal and external artists, manage client feedback and coordinate with creative and post-producers to ensure timely delivery as per KULFI standards. Prior to Post Office Studios, Kelkar’s 2-year stint at 4AM Worldwide has seen him head its motion design vertical.

On the other hand, Chowdhury has a strong background in the media production industry, having worked for 10 years. At Post Office Studios, he will oversee art direction and elevate the creativity quotient across various projects. Previously, Chowdhury was with Sealine Productions as a creative art director.

With over six years of experience managing, Merchant has led teams across multiple sectors at notable companies like Uber and Studio Dialogbox. Driven by his eagerness and genuine passion for business management and scaling organisations to greater heights, Merchant will help formulate and execute strategies to grow brand partnerships across multiple industry sectors in collaboration with the Post Office Studios’ creative and operations team.

Meanwhile, Thapar has a background of twelve years in commercials and digital video content production. His role sees him manage and support teams on multiple projects and coordinate with the creative team and production team to close projects. Adept at a solution-focused approach, Thapar leverages his vast experience to manage risk, solve problems and overcome challenges on the fly.

Lastly, Sen, who was previously the creative producer at Post Office Studios steps up to her new role with an experience of close to a decade in the field.

Shirley D’Costa, CBO of Kulfi Collective, said, “Over the last 2 years, we’ve seen a staggering increase in both interest and demand in the animation and immersive content space, both within India and globally. We are excited to strengthen our motion design capabilities with this incredible team of talented hires while we continue to deliver world-class content as a global new media studio.”

Simultaneously, Aditya Tawde, co-founder and CCO of Post Office Studios, commented, “We feel it’s a great combination of hiring a new set of talented people while upscaling the existing people, and we are looking forward to working with them. The biggest challenge in any growing startup organisation is to scale, and with a team of these bright minds, Post Office Studios will definitely set a new global benchmark in the motion design space.”