NIP Group (NASDAQ: NIPG) announced this week that it has hired Grant Rousseau as its new chief operating officer of its esports division. Rousseau comes from Saudi Arabia-based Team Falcons, where he served in various executive roles for more than three years. He formally announced in July that he would be exiting the organization during the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In this new role, 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,” according to the announcement. NIP Group’s esports division is home to a number of competitive rosters in Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, EA Sports FC, Honor of Kings, Rainbow Six Siege X, Crossfire, Rocket League, and Street Fighter, among others.
“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 Grant Rousseau, chief operating officer of NIP Group Esports Division. “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.”
During his time at Team Falcons, Rousseau helped the organization secure back-to-back Esports World Cup victories in 2024 and 2025, respectively, by expanding its rosters across 20 different esports teams in chess, Counter-Strike 2 and Overwatch, among others. Prior to joining Team Falcons, Rousseau held leadership roles at GIANTX (Splyce and EXCEL), Overactive Media Group, Counter Logic Gaming (CLG), and Guild Esports.
In January, NIP Group announced that it had signed a multi-year partnership with ADIO Holdings Restricted Limited (ADIO Group), an Abu Dhabi-based entity established by the government-owned Abu Dhabi Investment Office. ADIO made a commitment to invest up to approximately $40 million USD in NIP Group over a four-year period, with the organization establishing an Abu Dhabi-based entity that would serve as its official global headquarters.