25 April, 12:00
Keeping us honest: The board of the CEA
At the CEA's core is our charitable mission. These are the people behind us cheering us on, advising us, and keeping us honest. We answer only to them.
Chairman, Michael Pleasant
Michael L. Pleasant is a founding member and Chief Executive Officer of Open Security, Inc. He believes cybersecurity expertise should be accessible to all and those same experts should provide understandable, practical, and pragmatic solutions to their customers.
Michael’s technical expertise and leadership were both honed during his service in the United States Marine Corps, where he led intelligence operations during two tours of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. Michael used his on-the-ground experience to develop state-of-the-art tactical training that modernized intelligence doctrine and continued this mission after he left uniformed service by participating in research and development of new military applications for cybersecurity practices and technologies in the private sector.
This entrepreneurial experience has proven critical to the CEA time and time again.
Our CEO, Brad Tenenholtz
With eight years spent in the corporate esports space, Brad Tenenholtz was an easy choice when it was time to pick the person that would lead the CEA.
In 2012, Brad joined the original corporate esports association - the After Hours Gaming League - as an assistant Starcraft 2 game lead. Brad was promoted several times through that organization and was a key player when the AHGL collapsed in 2018. Brad led our restructuring and rebranding during that time, as well as secured our first major sponsorship, enabling the fledgling CEA to grow unencumbered by venture capital or other outside influence.
Under Brad's leadership, CEA became more than an esports company: The CEA is a testament how esports can change the world for the better, and what an ethical model looks like for an esports company. We are proud to call Brad our CEO.
Board Member and Co-Founder, Terence Southard
Terence has a proven track record of saving the day.
In 2014, when AHGL was struggling to find staff and provide meaningful matchups to participants, Terence donated his time and expertise to develop a matchmaking algorithm - a version of which is still in use at CEA today.
In 2016, AHGL's membership drastically expanded. Terence stepped in as a game lead and forged a path in previously unexplored territory.
In 2018, when it was time to create the Corporate Esports Association, Terence created an operations manual and managed the day-to-day tasks of the league while it grew and normalized.
Today, Terence sits as a board member and key player in CEA's future.
Using esports to make the world a better place, one game at a time.
— Our mission statement