John Needham
InvestorPresident, Publishing & Esports at Riot Games
Los Angeles, California, United States
Find your path to John
220 people in our graph share verified history with John — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Alli OttarssonunlockedJohn: together at Riot Games (2017–2019)
John: together at Riot Games
×2John: together at Linden Lab
×8John: together at Arthur Andersen LLP
About
John Needham is President of Publishing and Esports at Riot Games. His experience across the games industry spans esports, free-to-play PC and mobile titles, subscription-based massively multiplayer games, virtual and augmented reality, and premium console, with work in management, operations, business development, finance, fundraising, and M&A. He has built, grown, restructured, funded, acquired, and sold gaming companies in both large corporate and startup settings.
Experience
- Riot GamesPresident, Publishing and Esportscurrent2024 — presentLos Angeles, CA
- Riot GamesPresident, Esports2021 — 2024Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
- Riot GamesGlobal Head of Esports2020 — 2021Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
- Riot GamesGlobal Head of League of Legends Esports2019 — 2020Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
- Riot GamesManaging Director of Europe and North America2018 — 2019Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
- Riot GamesManaging Director of Europe2017 — 2018Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
- Linden LabConsultant2016 — 2017San Francisco Bay Area
- MicrosoftPartner - GM US Studios2015 — 2016Redmond, washington
- MicrosoftStudio Head - Lionhead, Head of European Publishing2013 — 2015London, United Kingdom
- PlayMesh, Inc.Board Member2012 — 2014
- Gazillion EntertainmentCEO2011 — 2012San Mateo, Ca
- Gamestop Digital Advisory CoucilAdvisor2011
- Cryptic StudiosCEO2008 — 2011Los Gatos, Ca
- Sony Online EntertainmentCFO and SVP of Business Development and Operations2001 — 2008Greater San Diego Area
- TelemundoVP of Finance1999 — 2001Hialeah, Fl
- Sony Pictures EntertainmentDirector of Business Development1996 — 1999Greater Los Angeles Area
- Arthur Andersen LLPStaff/Senior Auditor1992 — 1994Greater Los Angeles Area
Skills & more
Emerging Technologies14Leadership27Video Games68Online Gaming75Monetization25Social Games32MMO42Game Development63Strategic Partnerships13Mobile Devices12Game Design15Strategy19
+11 more
Start-upsMergers & AcquisitionsMobile GamesGamingLicensingBusiness DevelopmentGaming IndustryConsoleCasual GamesMobile ApplicationsiPhoneFrom John's professional profile.
Colleagues at Riot Games
A. Dylan Jadeja
Chief Executive Officer at Riot Games
Abhi Ramprasad
Chief Strategy Officer at Riot Games
Andrei van Roon
Studio Head, League of Legends at Riot Games
Andy Ho
EP, VALORANT at Riot Games
Anna Donlon
Studio Head, VALORANT at Riot Games
Brandon Beck
Co-Founder & Co-Chairman at Riot Games
Chengran Chai
EP, Riftbound at Riot Games
Chow Ching Ning
Managing Partner at Radiant Tech Ventures
Frequently asked questions
- Who is John Needham?
- John Needham is President of Publishing and Esports at Riot Games. His experience across the games industry spans esports, free-to-play PC and mobile titles, subscription-based massively multiplayer games, virtual and augmented reality, and premium console, with work in management, operations, business development, finance, fundraising, and M&A. He has built, grown, restructured, funded, acquired, and sold gaming companies in both large corporate and startup settings.
- Where does John Needham work?
- John Needham is President, Publishing & Esports at Riot Games.
- Where did John Needham go to school?
- John Needham studied at San Diego State University (Bachelor of Science (BS), Accounting); San Diego State University (Bachelor's degree, Accounting).
Same school
Also attended San Diego State University177
Lucas SchaubelInvestor at DN CapitalJohn GregerCPO & Portfolio Partner at Burda Principal InvestmentsAditya ReddyVice President at Sapphire VenturesEmily NorwoodManager, Marketing at Sapphire VenturesEmily StanfordInvestor at Notable CapitalMarienne CaroMarketing Lead at Qualcomm Ventures
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+ 171 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Linden Lab10
Bill GurleyGeneral Partner Emeritus at BenchmarkHunter WalkCo-founder & Partner at HomebrewJames CurrierInvestor at NFXbethanye McKinney BlountCompaas at Roble VenturesEthan KurzweilInvestor at ChemistryChristian LassondeManaging Partner at Impression Ventures
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+ 4 more
Also worked at Microsoft1,854
Reid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorNat FriedmanCo-lead of Meta Superintelligence Labs; co-founder of NFDGKai-Fu LeeChairman of Sinovation Ventures and CEO of 01.AIBill GatesCo-founder of Microsoft; Chair of the Gates FoundationMike KriegerCo-founder of Instagram; Chief Product Officer at Anthropic
+ 1,848 more
Also worked at Sony Online Entertainment8
John WangVenture Partner at Foothill VenturesRachel WeissVP, Corporate Strategy and Development, M&A, L'Oreal at The 98Paul KochHead of AI at Blueprint EquityJamil Bou KheirFounder at FirezoneBernard YeeCo-Founder, CEO / Executive Producer at Windup MindsTam ArmstrongExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter at Polyarc
+ 2 more
