NIP Group has appointed of Grant Rousseau as COO of the NIP Group Esports Division — a big move as Rousseau played a part in clinching key esports titles.
Rousseau will lead the continued growth of NIP Group’s esports division and oversee operations across its global teams, working in tandem with co-CEOs Hicham Chahine and Mario Ho.
As COO of NIP Group Esports Division, two-time Esports World Cup winner Rousseau will focus on driving both the competitive and non-competitive performance of NIP Group’s extensive esports division. Back in January, NIP Group announced a $40 million deal where it partnered with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to drive gaming, media and entertainment growth in Abu Dhabi.
The division includes a top-ranked Counter-Strike team, a Chinese League of Legends Pro League (LPL) team, alongside rosters in Apex Legends, EA Sports FC, Honor of Kings, Rainbow Six Siege X, Crossfire, Rocket League, and Street Fighter. He brings extensive and proven experience from the Middle East, a region that has quickly become a prominent leader within the esports and gaming industries.
Rousseau arrives from Team Falcons, where he served as global director of Esports and was instrumental in securing back-to-back Esports World Cup victories in 2024 and 2025.
During his tenure, he expanded Falcons’ roster to more than 20 different esports teams in titles such as Chess, Counter-Strike and Overwatch, implementing scouting systems, coaching structures, and player development frameworks that fueled sustained success across the organization.
Prior to Falcons, Rousseau was director of operations for esports organizations Splyce and Excel (now GiantX), where he spearheaded a successful and fundamental roster rebuilds in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), one of the world’s most-watched esports leagues, making it to the World Championship.
“Joining NIP Group is a really exciting moment for me. I’ve followed the organization for over a decade as an esports fan, and after speaking with Hicham Chahine and Mario Ho, it’s clear there is an opportunity to bring back the competitive success and passion for the brand that has always made the organization so special,” said Rosseau, in a statement. “I will be leading the performance and operations of NIP Group’s diverse esports rosters and strengthening the wider business across its established global verticals. The foundations are solid, and my intention is to take the organization back to the very top.”
“It’s a pleasure to welcome Grant Rousseau to NIP Group. His achievements speak for themselves: leading Team Falcons to back-to-back Esports World Cup victories in 2024 and 2025 demonstrated his ability to deliver results and guide an esports division to the very top,” said Hicham Chahine, Co-CEO of NIP Group, in a statement. “We’re confident Grant will continue to find success with our esports rosters and drive the esports division growth globally, and we can’t wait for him to get started.”
NIP began in 2000 as Ninjas in Pyjamas and it is now publicly traded on Nasdaq with a diversified ecosystem spanning esports teams, arenas and events, content and
influencer networks, game publishing, and hospitality. The group has hundreds of millions of fans.