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Riot Games’ CEO, Nicolo Laurent, is going to step down from his position after 14 long years of leadership in the company.

Image Credits | Riot Games

The French boss made the surprising announcement on May 11, explaining that this decision has been in his head for quite a while. He has been wanting to relocate back to France and focus on his own family. Needless to say that the time required as one of the biggest heads in the gaming industry doesn’t give him the luxury of time. Hence the decision to step down and change the leadership in the upcoming months.

“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,” he said in his message to other Rioters. “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.”

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Laurent also announced the new CEO that will be replacing him: Dylan Jadeja. According to Laurent, it was a unanimous decision by Riot’s Board, founders, advisors, and a search firm. The transition should be completed by the end of the year. Laurent will stay as an advisor and mentioned he doesn’t have plans in joining or founding a new company.

Jadeja first joined Riot in 2011 as Chief Financial Officer and added Chief Operating Officer to his role in 2014. When our founders transitioned to co-chair roles in 2017, Dylan was named President of Riot and has been one of the key leaders in crafting Riot’s strategy and driving the company’s culture forward.

For Laurent, one of Jadeja’s biggest strengths is Empathy. “The best leaders for the future will be the ones who can lead at scale, with empathy, and Dylan is one of them,” he said. “He’s genuine and humble in his leadership, but also unafraid to ask the tough questions to get to the best answer. But most importantly, Dylan has a strong passion for Riot’s culture and DNA. He appreciates what makes Riot special — great Rioters and great teams, who love players, and love games.”

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