Esport Canada Elects Five New Board Directors After 2026 AGM
Esport Canada elected five new members to its Board of Directors for three-year terms at its Annual General Meeting on August 12, 2026, the non-profit national esports federation confirmed.
The vote followed a formal call for nominations that opened in the summer and closed on July 15, 2026, seeking candidates for five seats: one Post-Secondary National Council seat, one open board seat and three independent seats reserved for professionals from outside the esports industry.
A Board Built Around National Sport Standards
The new board spans telecommunications, live entertainment, game development, traditional sports administration and collegiate esports.
Ivona Novak, a Development Director at Electronic Arts, joins with a focus on development governance, cross-functional operations and accessibility initiatives.
Tamara Edwards, Director of Events and Programs at Pickleball Canada, brings operational experience from the Canadian Elite Basketball League and the ATP Tour.
Ash Molaei, Strategic Partnerships and Marketing Lead at TELUS, joins after three years scaling the telecommunications operator's esports initiatives.
Gabriel Pinkstone, General Manager at creative studio Moment Factory and a former Cirque du Soleil executive, adds live events and financial stewardship experience.
Rosaline Fu Wei Leung, President of the BC Esports Association and Director of the Canadian Esports & Gaming Industry Summit, becomes Post-Secondary Council Chair, overseeing collegiate data collection and national recognition.
Chair Emil Vanjaka On New Directors
Emil Vanjaka, Chair of Esport Canada, said: “We had an absolutely incredible pool of candidates. These five new directors bring an exceptional mix of experience and perspectives, and I have no doubt that we'll be able to achieve tremendous things as we enter this next chapter for Esport Canada together.”
Esport Canada's by-laws require the federation to hold an AGM every calendar year to elect directors, approve financial statements and conduct official business.
The federation has said the board changes bring it into closer alignment with the Canadian Sport Governance Code on gender diversity and non-endemic representation across national sport organisations.
Why It Matters For Canadian Esports
The governance refresh follows the recent appointment of Jordan “Ayrin” He as Director of Strategic Growth and Operations, brought in to drive commercial growth alongside grassroots development and high-performance national team pipelines.
Esport Canada serves as the official managing body for Canada's representation at the Esports Nations Cup, with commercial and logistical support from Toronto-based esports company OverActive Media and its franchise team, Toronto Ultra.
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A governance structure that meets national sport standards matters beyond the federation itself.
Operators and sportsbooks weighing the esports market in Canada look for stable, accountable national bodies before treating a federation's teams and events as a reliable line for online betting, and a credible board is one of the clearest signals of that stability heading into Canada's next international esports cycle.
Further coverage of Canadian esports business news is available on Gambling.com News.
