Animoca Brands announces senior leadership appointments for Yat Siu, Evan Auyang, Robby Yung
07 October 2021 -- HONG KONG -- Animoca Brands today announced the appointments of Yat Siu as group executive chairman and managing director, Evan Auyang as group president, and Robby Yung as CEO of the company’s North American operations.
Yat Siu - group executive chairman and managing director of Animoca Brands
Yat Siu, co-founder of Animoca Brands, has served as non-executive chairman since 27 September 2018. Under his leadership, the company has transformed into a global leader in the delivery of digital property rights via blockchain and NFTs, and earlier this year propelled its valuation to $1 billion “unicorn” status (see announcement of 1 July 2021). Yat is taking on the official role of group executive chairman and managing director of Animoca Brands effective immediately.
“Yat has provided visionary leadership in shaping Animoca Brands, not only in developing an impressive product portfolio but also in driving a successful investment strategy and providing leadership in the digital property rights ecosystem globally,” says Chris Whiteman, board member of Animoca Brands. “With Yat’s official appointment to the chief executive role of the expanded company, we look forward to attaining new heights for Animoca Brands.”
Evan Auyang - group president of Animoca Brands
Animoca Brands also appointed Evan Auyang as its group president. Evan brings extensive experience in corporate leadership and organizational scaling across his 27 years of experience spanning finance, management consulting, and corporate leadership.
Evan was previously managing director and head of international for the global expert insights firm GLG, where he ran and grew its business spanning Europe and Asia across 15 locations. Prior to GLG, Evan was the deputy managing director of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (KMB), one of the world's largest commercial public transport companies, and a board director of Transport International Holdings Limited, the parent company of KMB. Before that, he was an associate partner at McKinsey & Company, which he joined after working at Citigroup’s derivatives structuring and marketing unit.
Evan serves on several boards as an independent non-executive director, including Sun Hung Kai & Co, Asia Financial Holdings, and Urban Renewal Authority. He is also the chairman of non-profit public policy think tank Civic Exchange, and has been appointed as advisor/committee member to multiple civic, governmental and non-profit organizations, including Our Hong Kong Foundation, Independent Commission Against Corruption (“ICAC”), Hong Kong Council of Social Service, and others. Evan obtained his undergraduate degree in Economics and Political Science from Brown University and his MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management.
“We are pleased to have Evan join us at this exciting moment of Animoca Brands’ development. Evan has a stellar track record of delivering transformative impact across multiple organizations and industries, and he brings essential capabilities in strategic thinking, organizational leadership, and execution,” says Yat Siu.
“Animoca Brands is a global leader in the rapidly growing digital assets NFT ecosystem, and I am proud and excited to join Yat and the leadership team in shaping the company in its next stages of growth,” says Evan Auyang. “I see endless opportunities in this space and I feel truly privileged to be in a position to contribute to not only shaping Animoca Brands but also positively contributing to the industry.”
Robby Yung - CEO of Animoca Brands’ North American operations
Animoca Brands also appointed Robby Yung as CEO of Animoca Brands’ North American operations. Robby has served as CEO of Animoca Brands since 2014, and has been instrumental in guiding the company through its different stages of development, providing exceptional leadership through Animoca Brands’ many investments and acquisitions.
“I am very excited for Robby to use his deep experience and leadership to advance Animoca Brands in North America, where our subsidiaries are experiencing rapid growth and where we see tremendous opportunities for further development,” says Yat Siu.
“I am honoured to continue building and adding to our already impressive portfolio by focusing my attention on our growing businesses in the US and Canada,” says Robby Yung. “There are excellent opportunities to expand and shape our operations and investments in this region where gaming and digital assets ownership trends are among the most significant globally.”
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About Animoca Brands
Animoca Brands, ranked in the Financial Times list of High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2021, is a leader in digital entertainment, blockchain, and gamification. Animoca Brands develops and publishes a broad portfolio of products including the REVV token and SAND token; original games including The Sandbox, Crazy Kings, and Crazy Defense Heroes; and products utilizing popular intellectual properties including Formula 1®, Marvel, WWE, Power Rangers, MotoGP™, and Doraemon. Animoca Brands’ portfolio of blockchain investments and partnerships includes Sky Mavis (Axie Infinity), Dapper Labs (CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot), OpenSea, Harmony, Bitski, and Alien Worlds. Its subsidiaries include The Sandbox, Blowfish Studios, Quidd, Gamee, nWay, Pixowl, and Lympo. For more information visit www.animocabrands.com or get updates by following Animoca Brands on Facebook or Twitter.
Animoca Brands global contact: press@animocabrands.com