Xbox taps YouTube, Facebook vet Leo Olebe to lead gaming partnerships

Leo Olebe has found a new gig at Xbox. The exec who led gaming divisions at Facebook and YouTube has joined Microsoft‘s console brand, where he will serve as the VP of Global Partnerships.

Olebe announced his new gig on LinkedIn, where his profile reveals that he officially joined Xbox this month. He arrived at a pivotal time for the brand; more than three years after the release of the Xbox Series X, a new console is in the works and set for its big reveal later in 2024. Xbox President Sarah Bond has said that the brand’s next console will showcase “the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.”

Across a two-decade career in the gaming industry, Olebe has headed operations at several major tech companies. At Facebook, he oversaw a team that inked exclusive contracts with streamers and launched monetization programs.

As Facebook shifted resources away from its gaming hub, Olebe moved to YouTube

, where he replaced Ryan ‘Fwiz’ Wyatt as the face of platform-wide policies and initiatives. Olebe’s tenure at YouTube ended earlier this year, when he departed the platform amidst a round of layoffs that affected approximately 100 staffers.

Olebe’s institutional knowledge will help him get situated at Xbox, where he will reinforce the values that have guided him in previous positions. “A huge thank you to Lori Wright, Sarah Bond, and Phil Spencer for the opportunity to join such a great team with a fantastic vision for the future of Games,” Olebe wrote. “Gaming connects the world, and we can all continue to make it inclusive and welcoming to everyone, everywhere.”

In addition to his time at YouTube and Facebook, Olebe’s other roles have included gigs at Zynga, BioWare, and Warner Bros. Games. He is a board member for the nonprofit organization Games For Change.