Mindshare APAC's innovation lead James Lewin joins Riot Games

Mindshare APAC's head of innovation, James Lewin (pictured) has left the agency to join video game developer, Riot Games. He helms the role head of strategic partnerships, e-Sports, Southeast Asia. He was with the GroupM family for approximately nine years, according to his LinkedIn.In his last role, he was primarily tasked with driving Mindshare’s philosophy of adaptive marketing, and more specifically planning for agility. Lewin was also tasked to forge key technology partnerships to help Mindshare’s clients identify and capitalise upon both fixed and fluid cultural or brand energy moments.The partnerships ranges from wearable technology and internet of things (IoT) to data visualisation to content distribution platforms. In this role he worked with Mindshare’s other regional specialists, such as the heads of content, digital, strategy and clients leadership. Lewin was previously with m/six as its head of strategy. He was also with Microsoft for over a year in 2011, as advertising solutions specialist, Southeast Asia.He has also worked with clients such as Unilever, HSBC, Motorola, Disney, Pepsi, Diesel Jeans and Nike. Lewin has worked across markets such as Vietnam and London.In a statement to Marketing, Lewin said that gaming has been a huge passion throughout his life. "Having spent over a decade helping athletes all over the world achieve their dreams with Nike, it was time to look to the future and apply a lifetime of learnings to e-sports. And Riot is recognised the world over as the driver of, and leader in, this new future of sport and participative entertainment. To decline the opportunity would have been to give up on my dream of seeing gaming in the olympics. And now my job is to make that a reality," he added.According to Lewin, gaming represents the basis for the future of entertainment. He said that it is one which is participative versus passive."E-sports, in-turn, represent the future of sport one in which the body you’re born with isn’t the barrier to achievement. E-sports even the playing field, with an athlete’s training ground being a computer in whatever form suits their life and lifestyle. Compared to traditional athletes, the same rules apply. There is an absolute dedication to incremental progress, honing skills and working their way up through local, regional and global competition. Globally recognised athletes are making millions in prize money and sponsorships," he added.Marketing has reached out to Mindshare for a statement.