Take a look at our panel of industry experts who will be deciding on the 2024 cohort for the FutureGen programme! On the 5th of December, a shortlist of applicants will be put forward to a panel of six industry judges representing different areas of the sector.
Are you a UK university student looking to be part of the programme and gain invaluable insight into the esports and gaming industry? Applications will close at 11:59pm on Monday 20th November. Applicants will be expected to complete four questions, three of which are written and one as a short video.
The judging panel are:
Ashley Washington - Product Lead for Game Changers EMEA - Riot Games
Ashley Washington is the product lead for Game Changers EMEA at Riot Games and has held a variety of titles in esports & gaming since 2016. Along with her passion for League of Legends and VALORANT, Ashley brings a wealth of experience as a lifelong core gamer, graduate of the NYU Game Center, and dedicated D&I advocate to the table in her position at Riot. In addition to product, Ashley also works as a mentor for women of all ages who are interested in entering the gaming and tech industries. She is a firm believer in the creation of safe spaces in gaming for all underrepresented groups and envisions gaming communities in which these groups are not simply tolerated, but are empowered to thrive as well.
Juandre Bekker - Industry Leader (Tech & Banking) - UNiDAYS
Juandre is Industry Leader (Tech & Banking) at UNiDAYS, a global student platform for savings, giveaways and much more. He leads the global partnerships team at UNiDAYS across Technology, Banking and Entertainment - where they help students enjoy the best discounts and experiences through strategic relationships with brands such as Apple, Adobe and Amazon. Juandre was previously Head of Online Strategy at Samsung Europe and held other roles at Amazon, HP and Microsoft.
Shanzay Usama - Marcoms Producer - EA
Shanzay is a Marcoms Producer at EA, having previously worked at several other notable companies in the video games and media industries, including Square Enix and the BBC. This has included work on IPs such as Tomb Raider, Avatar The Last Airbender, and The One Show. She has been a mentor for both the Women In Games International and Limit Break programmes. Her expertise lies in production, brand, influencers, and DEI.
Michael 'ODEE' O'Dell - Director of Gaming and Esports - Scan Computers
Now Director of Gaming and Esports for Scan Computers, Michael is known as “ODEE” in the esports world and has been part of the scene for 20 years, playing in several teams at the highest level in games such as Quake 3 and Battlefield 1942, representing his country on many occasions.
In 2003 ODEE was one of the founders of Team Dignitas with the rest of his Battlefield 1942 who went on to be the best team in the world at that title. The team expanded to other games and grew into one of the largest multi-gaming teams in the world. During his time with Team Dignitas, ODEE managed 750+ players in multiple games and genres, with 137 World Champions.
Alex Coulson - Managing Director - NSE
Alex is Managing Director of NSE (National Student Esports) which is the official body for university esports and the largest grassroots gaming community in the UK. Alex also recently led uTure, a global talent to show to find the next generation of YouTube gaming content creators. NSE is housed within Benchmark, a family of companies that develop communities and shape purpose-driven brands, where Alex forms part of the senior leadership team having previously spent seven years as MD of Sport Industry Group, the sport industry’s leading B2B content, events, and networking business.
Stuart Walker - Head of Education UK & Ireland - Intel
Stuart represents Intel working with the Education community in the UK spanning School, College and University communities. Aspects of his work include supporting impactful technology adoption and digital strategy development. BETT Ahead Advisory Board Member, Stuart also leads the Intel UK efforts in supporting skills development overseeing the progress of “Skills for Innovation” and “AI for Youth” Intel Digital Readiness programmes.
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