Naz Aletaha, the head of League of Legends Esports, has announced she will be leaving Riot Games in a few months’ time.
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Naz Aletaha leaves Riot after more than 12 years in the company
The announcement came directly from Aletaha herself, through a long post published on her X and Twitter profiles after coming back from a sabbatical she took in February. With a few months for the transition, the new Global Head of League of Legends Esports is going to be Chris Greeley, former LCS commission.
Aletaha’s professional career
Aletaha joined the company in 2012 as a senior manager of B2B payments after working in Sony Pictures Entertainment and Activision for a couple of years. At the end of 2013, she became the head of global esports partnerships & business development before being promoted to Global Head of LoL Esports in 2021. She has been responsible for creating and executing the vision, strategy, and roadmap for LoL Esports, including the regional leagues and international events such as the League of Legends World Championship and the Mid-Season Invitational.
Throughout the years, Aletaha secured key sponsorships with world-class brands such as Louis Vuitton, Red Bull, State Farm, and Mastercard, transforming esports from a niche to a mainstream global sport that is still growing today.
In her statement (which you can find below), Aletaha explained she would be exploring “new horizons” and that it was a “bittersweet decision” for her.
After a recent sabbatical, I’ve decided that I’m ready to start a new chapter in my career and will be leaving the company by the fall. It’s been an incredible 12.5 years at Riot Games, and I’m so proud of what the team has accomplished in that relatively short time in the world of sports and entertainment. Being part of this hashtag#esports community — this movement to build competitive gaming into professional sport — has been the honor of a lifetime.
It’s been quite the ride. We’ve seen some of the most iconic arenas around the world filled with LoL Esports fans, from Madison Square Garden to the Bird’s Nest to Chase Center, among others. Our community has set — and quickly broken — viewership records time and time again. Pro players have become legend and have been deservedly lauded by those within and outside of our industry. And we’ve welcomed some of the world’s most recognized and respected brands to the LoL Esports family over the years. From Mastercard to Mercedes-Benz, Coca-Cola, Louis Vuitton, Red Bull, Tiffany & Co. and many others, our partners have brought the same level of expertise, care, and commitment to LoL Esports as they do to traditional sports.
And to top it off, we’ve had music icons from Lil Nas X to New Jeans, Imagine Dragons, Jackson Wang, Zedd, and many more grace our stage over the years to celebrate the best of the sport.
So many firsts. So many jaw-dropping moments. Countless memories.
We couldn’t be more thankful for the recognition the sport has received over the years. To go from a chorus of skeptics asking “is this really a sport?” in those early days to winning multiple Sports Emmys just years later is a testament to the strength of this community and the commitment of this team. Millions upon millions have come together for over a decade to forge this sport into what it is today, and I’m eternally grateful that I got to be one of them.
I can’t thank Riot enough for the opportunities — first to build the business behind the sport and then to lead it entirely — and Rioters for being my heroes every day for over a decade.
Leaving Riot is a bittersweet decision for me. I’m going to miss it, but I’m ready for a new challenge and excited for what’s to come. I’ll be staying on for the next few months to ensure a smooth transition, and then leaving the company to explore where I want to take my career journey next.
To the many who have made this ride unforgettable — Rioters, fans, partners, team orgs, players, talent, streamers, media, content creators, friends, and family — thank you. It’s been the journey of a lifetime. Here’s to the next chapter.
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