FaZe Clan starts the year with a fleet of executive promotions

FaZe Clan has hired and promoted a fleet of new executives as it focuses on “increasing our community engagement and leveraging the full power of FaZe Clan, not just for the business but for the creator economy at large,” COO Zach Katz told Variety.

The esports and gaming org promoted longtime chief of staff Rana Kaplan to general manager, and tapped five other new executives across content operations, talent, web3, creative operations, and human resources.

Kaplan has been with FaZe Clan since 2018, and as general manager will oversee a team focused on “business process efficiency,” Variety reports. She’ll report directly to Katz.

As for the other executive positions, FaZe has brought in Summer Martin, a managing productions operator with experience working on shows like Netflix’s Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, as its VP of content operations. She will co-lead content strategy with Stash Slionski, who’s been promoted from senior director of content to executive producer.

The org has also promoted Brooke Grant from director of creative services to head of web3; promoted Vera Salamone from director of talent to VP of talent; named Laura Ryk

head of creative operations; and appointed Kelli Serden VP of human resources.

Katz said FaZe is “thrilled to appoint Rana Kaplan as our new general manager, and elevate key leaders across our departments who will be pivotal in maximizing the power of our brand and growing our business.”

FaZe Clan has also made a number of other promotions over the past few months, Variety reports, including naming Meredith Shiney director of events, Nick Ruffini senior director of branded content, Olu Obafemi director of development, Ryan Ruggiero YouTube strategist, Shawn Clark-Dougherty VP of esports content, Jay Devonish director of IP development, and hiring George De La Cruz as EVP of accounting.

FaZe Clan has outlined bold content plans for the next few years, but it’s faced significant headwinds since going public in July 2022. It lost $9.3 million in Q2 2022, and a further $12 million in Q3. Its stock price reached an all-time high of $20.08 per share in August 2022 before crashing to $3.41 in October. At press time, shares are worth just $1.70.