Enthusiast Gaming, one of North America’s leading media and gaming companies, is getting new leadership. New, but not unfamiliar.

This week Nick Brien tendered his resignation as the company’s chief executive and director. While the company begins the search for a new chief executive, it has tapped Adrian Montgomery (pictured) to be the interim CEO. Montgomery, who is currently Enthusiast’s chairman of the board, has experience in the role, having served as the company’s CEO from its inception until March 2023 when Brien took over.

The change comes at a precarious time for the publicly traded Canadian company as it struggles to achieve profitability. In December, Enthusiast laid off 20 employees — nearly 10% of its workforce — and that was following another round of layoffs in the spring.

But, according to Michael Beckerman, lead director of gaming, Enthusiast has found the right person to meet the moment with Montgomery.

“The company is undergoing a critical transformation, so finding the right leader to drive our organization forward is imperative. As the prior long-term CEO and current chairman, Adrian has always demonstrated tremendous capital markets expertise and successfully guided the company to its position as the leading gaming and entertainment company in North America. The board of directors believes Adrian is the right person to lead the company through its transition, supported by a talented team,” Beckerman said. “We appreciate Nick’s contributions and wish him well.”

Enthusiast’s focus is on building a diverse media platform for video game and esports fans worldwide. It has a mix of digital media, entertainment assets, and a large audience – composed mainly of Gen Z and Millennials – of around 300 million globally every month​​.

“We are at a tremendous inflection point,” Montgomery says. “And [we] will not be distracted as we drive towards profitability, pursuing our mission of connecting players, creators and brands in the gaming and entertainment ecosystem.”