*By Brandon Brathwaite* Chris Park, the new CEO of esports organization Gen.G, knows that in the grand scheme of gaming, the field of esports is still quite young. "We're figuring this all out together," he told Cheddar Sports. For Park, figuring it out will involve creating a "gold standard" for the industry and pushing for more legitimacy across leagues. And he would know ー Park has previously worked for both Major League Baseball and Facebook ($FB). "Fundamentally, it starts with being a consummately professional world class organization in everything that we do," he said. Gen.G has been that and more. In 18 months, the organization has won five world championships, expanded to five different games, and belongs to prestigious leagues like the League of Legends Champions Korea and the Overwatch League. In Park's view, being a "gold standard" esports organization is not simply a matter of size or credentials ー it starts with the fans. "We want to be the most fan-responsive community we can be," he said. "There's so many things that we can lean into as a company. We're going to have to pick the right focus and that's the part where I have to come in and make sure we stay on the straight-and-narrow."
