FORMER U.S. MILITARY/SPECIAL OPS PERSONNEL JOIN OVERACTIVE MEDIA STAFF

March 28, 2019 (TORONTO, CANADA) — OverActive Media (OAM) announced today the hiring of two former U.S. military/special operations personnel. Pat Sauer and Tom Hall join the growing Canadian esports organization and will work with OAM-owned teams, including the @TorontoDefiant and Splyce in an effort to gain a mental and competitive edge during their respective seasons. OAM worked with Echelon Front Overwatch (EF Overwatch), Jocko Willink’s recruitment company, on both hires.

"We are thrilled and tremendously proud to be adding Pat and Tom to our organization," said Chris Overholt, President and CEO of OverActive Media. "They've already started working with our players and coaches on issues such as stress management, communication systems, conflict resolution and decision making under extreme duress. The goal is to take the incredibly disciplined teachings of the special operations and apply those to how our teams train and perform both as competitive players, and outside the field of play as human beings."

Pat "Gunny" Sauer (@esportsgunny), Gunnery Sergeant, US Marine Corps (Ret.), will be OAM's new Senior Manager, Performance System. Prior to retiring from the Marine Corps, Gunny was assigned to the Marine Security Guard School, Marine Special Operations Command and NSA/Cyber Command units. While deployed, he was introduced to esports, realizing that, at the time, the esports space lacked some structural support aspects that are in place within professional sports, Gunny found a passion for creating programs in support of player development and in-game communication. The outcome of countless hours of researching and implementation has resulted in Gunny knowing what truly develops a dynamic. His uncanny ability to identify problem areas before they affect team dynamics has built him a reputation as a highly respected and sought-after mentor providing consult and coaching for increased performance, efficiencies, engagement and team cohesiveness.

Tom Hall (@ripleus), US Army Ranger, will take on the role of Manager, Player Development. Hall spent the last two years in the military primarily studying foreign language and culture (Russian and Pashto). He then moved out of the military and earned his B.A. in Political Science and played Division 1 football at Iowa State University, only one of a few vets nationally at the time to be playing D1 football. He then went on to get his M.A. in conflict management from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington while also working for a private intelligence start-up. Hall spent the last four years working for and advising start-ups primarily in an operational capacity in the intelligence, e-commerce, and bio-renewable sectors.

"We are excited to partner with OverActive Media to help build a competitive advantage over their competition. This is a decisive and smart move for an e-sports organization to bring in former Special Operations Soldiers, the very epitome of teamwork and combat-tested leadership, to help develop and enable teams to lead and win within. We think this is industry-leading and will no doubt serve as an advantage for all of their teams and players," added Leif Babin, President of Echelon Front and Managing Partner of EF Overwatch.

"The EF Overwatch team built, trained, and led high-performance winning teams in the military. During our combined decade-plus years of combat and military experience, we’ve come to realize that leadership at every level, combined with the right talent, character, and the mindset of extreme ownership are the critical factors for the success in any organization – whether on the physical battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq or the virtual battlefields of the e-sports industry," added Mike Sarraille, Managing Partner and CEO of EF Overwatch. "The team at OverActive Media realizes this and is making a decisive industry-leading move to ensure their teams dominate on their battlefield." 

EF Overwatch is the premier Special Operations Forces and military leadership talent acquisition firm. Founded by former Navy SEALs Jocko Willink, Leif Babin, and Mike Sarraille, and rooted in the concept of ‘Extreme Ownership’, a best-selling leadership book penned by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, EF Overwatch has quickly emerged as a disruptor in the recruiting world.

Both Sauer and Hall bring with them tremendous military expertise and leadership from their overseas deployment experiences. Combined, Pat and Tom completed five tours in Afghanistan.