by Virtus.pro, one of Russia’s leading esports organizations, have announced the recruitment of Nikolai Petrossian as their new CEO. The former ESforce Holding CEO will replace the new owner of the franchise, Aram Karamanukyan, who took on the role in September.
VP made the announcement via their Twitter page and went on to attach a post link to an official statement on their website.
“Nikolai Petrossian becomes CEO of Virtus.pro,” the franchise tweeted.
“VP welcomes Nikolai Petrossian as a new CEO! In this post, he will replace Aram Karamanukyan, who remains an investor in the club.”
The statement revealed that Petrossian will be responsible for leading the organization’s strategic direction, as well as overseeing day-to-day operations. He brings with him a wealth of corporate experience, having previously served as the PR Director for Adidas CIS. He has also held a senior position at ESforce – a major esports holding company based in Russia.
Karamanukyan, who will remain as an investor in the organization, commented on the addition of Petrossian to the team.
“We made a decision to go forward with a more experienced CEO, the one that will be able to take charge of all the little things and nuances of the esports business establishment, communicate with managers from every discipline on a daily basis and be effective at operations management,” Karamanukyan said.
“Nikolai was an obvious choice.”
In the statement, Petrossian shared his excitement about Virtus.pro and his desire to help the organization continue to grow.
“I gladly accepted the offer to lead Virtus.pro. I have thoroughly studied how the club works during its time in ESforce, and I will be glad to use this knowledge now that both the club and I have left the holding,” Petrossian said.
“There is another reason: the potential of Virtus.pro for the development of esports in Armenia. I have lived in Armenia for 31 years, this is where my personal and professional journey began, so I am very happy to return to the roots. Our player with the flag of Armenia on his shoulders has already raised the championship cup over his head this year, and I think it was very symbolic.”
In September, Karamanukyan acknowledged his lack of experience in the esports industry, which may have motivated his decision to step down from the CEO position.
