CEA names Gary Tibbett director of games, esports, partnerships

The Centre for Entertainment Arts announced on LinkedIn that Gary Tibbett has been appointed director of games, esports and industry partnerships. He moves up from his role as director of esports, which he held for just over a year.

CEA develops curriculum for 3D animation, visual effects and game development. The organisation works with public colleges and universities to deliver career-focused training and technical programmes rather than operating a standalone school.

Tibbett joined CEA in December 2024 as a member of its Industry Advisory Board and was appointed director of esports in June 2025. He held that post for just over a year before the recent promotion.

In a LinkedIn post, Tibbett wrote that “the past year at CEA had been the most rewarding stretch of my career so far” and described the new title as bringing together games, esports and industry partnerships. He highlighted new programmes built from scratch and partnerships formed with universities, esports federations and government bodies across the Middle East, North America and East Asia.

Before joining CEA, Tibbett spent close to six years at British Esports. He joined as projects officer in December 2019, became education manager in mid-2020 and was promoted to head of partnerships in August 2023. He served as an advisor and board member at LUCENT between 2021 and 2023.

In December 2025 he took on advisory roles as an esports expert with the International Organization for Standardization and the British Standards Institution.

The new role expands his remit to include games development, competitive gaming and the partnerships that connect training providers with employers and public bodies.