Broadly-experienced Board to Oversee FaZe Clan's
Anticipated Growth Across Entertainment, Media and Web3
LOS
ANGELES, March 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FaZe Clan,
Inc. ("FaZe Clan") the lifestyle and media platform rooted in
gaming and youth culture, today announced its anticipated Board of
Directors to take effect upon consummation of FaZe Clan's planned
merger with B.Riley Principal 150 Merger Corp. (NASDAQ: BRPM)
("BRPM"), a publicly listed special purpose acquisition company.
The merger is expected to close in the first half of 2022.
"We have assembled a best-in-class Board of Directors who bring
a broad and deep understanding of Gen Z and the rapidly changing
digital media and entertainment landscape," said Lee Trink, CEO of
FaZe Clan. "I am excited to work with this fantastic group and
benefit from their insights and guidance as we enter the public
market and execute our multi-platform monetization strategy to
create long-term shareholder value."
FaZe Clan's post-merger Board of Directors is expected to be
comprised of:
- Lee Trink, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder,
FaZe Clan and Chairman of the Board
- Angela Dalton, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
of Signum Growth Capital
- Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Cordozar Broadus Jr., American
rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, DJ, media
personality and business entrepreneur
- Daniel
Shribman, Chief Investment Officer of B. Riley
Financial
- Mickie Rosen, Director of
several US and Australian companies and Principal of Mickie Rosen
Consulting
- Nick Lewin, General
Partner of Crown Predator Holdings
- Paul
Hamilton, Co-Owner and Chief Executive Officer of
Atlanta Esports Ventures, President and Chief Executive Officer of
The Greenspun Corporation and Principal of Province Inc.
- Ross
Levinsohn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
The Arena Group (formerly theMaven,Inc.)
- Stephanie McMahon, Chief
Brand Officer, World Wrestling
Entertainment
- Zach Katz, Founder and
Chief Executive Officer of Carte Blanche
Additional Information on Board Members
Lee Trink
Mr. Trink has served as Chief Executive Officer of FaZe since
September 2018 and on its board of
directors since August 2018. Prior to
joining FaZe, Mr. Trink served as General Manager for artist-first
label Lava Records from 2001 to 2005, and General Manager and COO
of Virgin Records from 2005 to 2007, President of EMI Capitol Music
Group, comprised of Capitol Records, Virgin Records, Blue Note
Records and Astralwerks Records, from 2007 to 2008. He has worked
with renowned artists such as Katy
Perry, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Rolling Stones, Coldplay and
Lenny Kravitz. Following his tenure
at EMI, Mr. Trink was Principal Partner from 2009 to 2010 at
entertainment company Prospect Park, then started his own artist
management and marketing business, Dare Mighty Entertainment, where
he worked with brands such as General Motors, Harley-Davidson and
Jim Beam, and artists from Kid Rock to the historic Preservation
Hall Jazz Band, from 2010 to 2018. Mr. Trink earned a J.D. from
Brooklyn Law School and a B.A. from S.U.N.Y. Albany.
Angela Dalton
Ms. Dalton has over 20 years of experience in public capital
markets, and has served as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of
Signum Growth Capital ("SGC"), since 2018. SGC is a broker-dealer
providing M&A advisory services, private placements, and public
market advisory for disruptive companies at the intersection of
video gaming, mass market culture, and NFTs in a new internet - Web
3.0. Prior to SGC, she served as Managing Director and Sector Head
of Technology, Media, and Telecom of Guggenheim Securities from
2015 to 2018. Prior to Guggenheim, Angela was an initial investor
and Co-Founder of Evercore Partners' Equities business from 2010 to
2015, leading its Technology, Media, and Telecom practice. She also
served as Managing Partner of Technology at Signum Global Advisors,
an independent advisory firm operating at the intersection of
policy and global markets from 2018 to 2019. Ms. Dalton earned an
M.B.A. from the University of Chicago
and a B.A. and B.S. from the University of
Kansas.
Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Cordozar Broadus Jr.
Snoop Dogg is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record
producer, DJ, media personality and business entrepreneur. He
recently joined Def Jam Records as executive creative and strategic
consultant. In addition to his work as an artist, Snoop Dogg lends
his talents as a media personality with appearances on radio, TV
and film. He has also produced several films and TV projects.
Establishing himself as a businessman, Snoop Dogg has made several
investments and endorsements spanning the lifestyle, food/beverage
and cannabis industries. In 2020, Snoop Dogg established a
multi-year partnership with 19 Crimes to release a line of wines
inspired by the convicts-turned-colonists who built Australia. Also in 2020, Snoop Dogg launched
his own spirits brand with a strawberry-infused gin called Indoggo.
Additionally, Snoop Dogg founded the Snoop Youth Football League in
2005 with the idea of creating something to help L.A. kids get off
the streets and providing them with an outlet. To date, more than
25 kids who participated in the League have gone on to play in the
NFL.
Daniel
Shribman
Mr. Shribman is Chief Investment Officer of B. Riley Financial
where he oversees the asset base alongside Co-Chief Executive
Officer Bryant Riley. Mr. Shribman
has worked in close collaboration with management teams and boards
to maximize shareholder value in the form of operational
turnarounds, capital market financing and communication, and
capital deployment initiatives. Mr. Shribman has served as a member
of the board of directors of clean energy storage pioneer Eos
Energy Enterprises Inc., and as chair of its audit committee, since
2020; of premium industrial and construction equipment and services
provider Alta Equipment Group Inc. since 2020; of tech-powered
media company The Arena Group (formerly TheMaven, Inc.) since 2021;
of one-stop financial services group NextPoint Financial Inc. since
2021; and of blank-check company AltEnergy Acquisition Corp. Mr.
Shribman has served as the CEO and CFO of both B. Riley Principal
150 and 250 Merger Corps. since February
2021 and May 2021,
respectively. Prior to joining B. Riley, Mr. Shribman was a
Portfolio Manager at a special situation asset manager. During his
tenure, he led investments in dozens of public and private
opportunities across the general industrials, transportation,
automotive, aerospace, gaming, hospitality and real estate
industries. Previously, he worked at a private equity firm and in
the restructuring advisory group at Lazard Freres. Mr. Shribman
holds an A.B. in Economics and History from Dartmouth College.
Mickie
Rosen
Ms. Rosen has over thirty years of operating, strategy, and board
experience at the intersection of media, technology and e-commerce
for iconic companies, including Yahoo, Fox and Disney, and early-
to growth-stage companies, such as Fabletics, Pandora, Hulu and
Fandango. Ms. Rosen has served on the boards of directors of
Australian bank, the Bank of Queensland, since March
2021; of Ascendant Digital Acquisition Corp. (I & III),
a pair of SPACs focused on interactive entertainment and the
attention economy, since 2020; of leading direct-to-consumer,
membership-based apparel and footwear e-commerce companies
TechStyle Fashion Group and its spin out, Fabletics, since 2019; of
leading Australian media and digital company Fairfax Media from
2017 until its acquisition by Nine Entertainment Company in 2018;
of Nine Entertainment Company since 2018; and of Pandora Media from
2015 until 2019. Ms. Rosen was President of the digital arm of
Tribune Publishing, Tribune Interactive, from 2017 to 2019;
President of The Los Angeles Times from
2017 until its acquisition in 2018; Senior Advisor to Boston
Consulting Group from 2016 to 2017; and, Senior Vice President of
Global Media & Commerce at Yahoo! from 2011 to 2013.
Prior, she has held several executive positions with Fox
Interactive Media, Fandango, and The Walt Disney Company and was a
consultant with McKinsey & Company. Ms. Rosen earned an M.B.A.
from Harvard Business School and a B.A.
from U.C. San Diego.
Nick
Lewin
Mr. Lewin has served as Chairman of the Board of global, high-tech
medical device and aesthetics company Establishment Labs since
2015; as General Partner of venture capital and private equity
group Crown Predator Holdings since 2008, of which he was Managing
Partner from 2000 to 2008; and on the board of directors of Halo
Maritime Defense Systems, a privately held provider of maritime
security products and solutions, since 2007. Mr. Lewin earned a
B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.
Paul
Hamilton
Mr. Hamilton has spent much of his career growing companies by
developing comprehensive strategies that have led to financial
profitability and providing restructuring and turnaround advisory
services, including C-level interim management, for distressed
companies in the gaming, hospitality, media and real estate
industries. Additionally, Mr. Hamilton has participated in and led
several portfolio workouts, capital-raising efforts and distressed
asset acquisitions and liquidations, and has extensive experience
in reorganization advisory services involving pre-bankruptcy
strategic alternatives and planning, financial forecasting and
analysis, business plan development, creditor and leaseholder
communications and negotiations, cost reduction initiatives,
identifying and stabilizing core operations and the analysis of
asset sales, divestitures or shutdowns. Mr. Hamilton has served as
Co-Owner and CEO of Atlanta Esports Ventures, which owns and
operates two leading esports teams, the Atlanta FaZe in the Call of
Duty League and the Atlanta Reign in the Overwatch League, since
2018; as President and CEO of The Greenspun Corporation, a
conglomerate with significant investment positions in print and
electronic media publications, travel and tourism, real estate and
gaming, since 2011. Mr. Hamilton also co-founded and has served as
Principal of financial advisory firm Province, Inc., since 2007.
Mr. Hamilton earned an M.B.A. from the Graziadio School of Business
at Pepperdine University.
Ross
Levinsohn
Mr. Levinsohn has been Chairman and CEO
since 2019 of tech-powered media company The Arena Group (formerly
theMaven, Inc.), which operates Sports Illustrated media, owns
TheStreet and The Spun and provides a platform to more than 200
independent publishers. Previously, Mr. Levinsohn served on
the board of directors of multimedia conglomerate Tribune Media
from 2013 to 2019, and on the board of print and digital marketing
company Thryv from 2016 to 2019. From 2017 until 2019 he served in
two capacities for Tribune Publishing – first as CEO of the
Los Angeles Times, and after the paper
was sold, as CEO of Tribune Interactive, the publisher of more than
100 titles including the Chicago Tribune and New York Daily
News. Mr. Levinsohn is Co-Founder of media, e-commerce and
consumer technology advisory firm Whisper Advisors, of which he was
Managing Director from 2014 to 2017. From 2013 to 2014, Mr.
Levinsohn was CEO of Guggenheim Digital Media, which operated
Prometheus Global Media assets including iconic brands Billboard,
Adweek and The Hollywood Reporter and managed The Film Expo Group
and CLIO Awards. Mr. Levinsohn also served as interim CEO and Head
of Global Media at Yahoo! from 2010 to 2012, Managing Director at
Fuse Capital from 2008 to 2010 and held a variety of roles,
including President of Fox Interactive Media, at News
Corporation/Fox Media from 2000 to 2006.
Stephanie
McMahon
Ms. McMahon has served on the boards of
directors of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (the "WWE") since
2015; of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation since
2015; and of the Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore chapter of The
United Service Organizations Inc. since 2011. Ms. McMahon has also
served since 2013 as Chief Brand
Officer of WWE, where she is responsible for ensuring WWE's
global brand strength and growth across all lines of business,
overseeing its Brand, Marketing, Creative Services, Community
Relations and Pop Culture strategies, as well as its Global Sales
and Partnerships Division. Prior to her role as CBO, Ms. McMahon
was Executive Vice President of Creative for WWE, and was the first
woman to lead WWE's Creative Writing, Digital Media, Talent
Relations, Talent Brand Management and Live Events businesses. Ms.
McMahon is also a Henry Crown Fellow within the Aspen Global
Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute and an Eisenhower Fellow.
Ms. McMahon earned a B.S. from Boston
University and in 2013 was named a Distinguished Alumna of
its College of Communication.
Zach Katz
Mr.
Katz began his career as a music attorney with the Law Offices of
Katz & Katz in Los Angeles
from 1996 to 2001. From 2001 through 2005 Mr. Katz moved into music
management, representing prominent artists, producers and
songwriters. From 2006 through 2012 he co-founded and served as CEO
of record label and music publishing company Beluga Heights in
partnership with Sony Music and, later, Warner Brothers Records.
Mr. Katz has since served as Executive Vice President, Chief
Creative Officer, and then President of Records, Publishing and
Operations of artist-centric, global music company BMG from 2012 to
2018. From 2019 through 2021, Mr Katz co-founded and served as CEO
of music-tech investment fund Raised In Space Enterprises, which
focuses on raising the value of music via investments in
forward-thinking founders and technology. In 2022, he founded Carte
Blanche, a music talent, content and technology company powered by
transformative technology. Mr. Katz earned a J.D. from Loyola
School of Law in Los Angeles and a
B.A. from The University of Southern
California.
ABOUT FAZE CLAN
FaZe Clan is a digital-native
lifestyle and media platform rooted in gaming and youth culture,
reimagining traditional entertainment for the next generation.
Founded in 2010 by a group of kids on the internet, FaZe Clan was
created for and by Gen Z and Millennials, and today operates across
multiple verticals with transformative content, tier-one brand
partnerships, a collective of notable talent, and fashion and
consumer products. Reaching over 500 million followers across
social platforms globally, FaZe Clan delivers a wide variety of
entertainment spanning video blogs, lifestyle and branded content,
gaming highlights and live streams of highly competitive gaming
tournaments. FaZe Clan's roster of more than 85 influential
personalities consists of engaging content creators, esports
professionals, world-class gamers and a mix of talent who go beyond
the world of gaming, including NFL star Kyler "FaZe K1" Murray,
Lebron "FaZe Bronny" James Jr., Lil Yachty aka "FaZe Boat" and
Offset aka "FaZe Offset." Its gaming division includes ten
competitive esports teams who have won over 30 world championships.
FaZe Clan recently announced plans to go public through a merger
with B. Riley Principal 150 Merger Corp. (NASDAQ: BRPM), a special
purpose acquisition company. Learn more at fazeclan.com/public. For
more information, visit www.fazeclan.com,
investor.fazeclan.com and follow FaZe Clan on Twitter,
https://www.instagram.com/fazeclan/?hl=en, YouTube, TikTok, and
Twitch.
About BRPM
BRPM is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the
purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset
acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business
combination with one or more businesses. BRPM began trading on the
NASDAQ on February 19, 2021 following
its initial public offering. Its shares of Class A common stock,
units and warrants trade under the ticker symbols BRPM, BRPMU and
BRPMW, respectively. BRPM is sponsored by an affiliate of B. Riley
Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: RILY).
Important Information about the Proposed Business Combination
and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed Business Combination, BRPM has
filed a registration statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration
Statement") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC")
which includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus relating to
the proposed Business Combination (the "Proxy
Statement/Prospectus"). After the Registration Statement is
declared effective by the SEC, BRPM will mail the definitive Proxy
Statement/Prospectus to holders of BRPM's shares of common stock as
of a record date to be established in connection with BRPM's
solicitation of proxies for the vote by BRPM stockholders with
respect to the proposed Business Combination and other matters as
described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus. BRPM stockholders and
other interested persons are urged to read the preliminary Proxy
Statement/Prospectus and, when available, the amendments thereto,
the definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus, and documents
incorporated by reference therein, as well as other documents filed
with the SEC in connection with the proposed Business Combination,
as these materials will contain important information about BRPM,
FaZe Clan and the proposed Business Combination. Stockholders are
able to obtain copies of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other
documents containing important information about BRPM, FaZe Clan
and the proposed Business Combination filed with the SEC, without
charge, once such documents are available on the website maintained
by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: B.
Riley Principal 150 Merger Corp, 299 Park Avenue, 21st Floor,
New York, New York 10171,
Attention: Daniel Shribman,
telephone: (212) 457-3300.
No Offer or Solicitation
This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a
proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or
in respect of the proposed Business Combination. This press release
shall also not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of
an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or
approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
Participants in the Solicitation
BRPM and FaZe Clan and their respective directors and executive
officers, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the
solicitation of proxies of BRPM's stockholders in connection with
the proposed Business Combination. Stockholders of BRPM may obtain
more detailed information regarding the names, affiliations and
interests of BRPM's and FaZe Clan's directors and executive
officers in BRPM's Form S-1 filed with the SEC relating to its
initial public offering, which was declared effective on
February 18, 2021 ("Form S-1") and in
the Proxy Statement/Prospectus. Information concerning the
interests of BRPM's participants in the solicitation, which may, in
some cases, be different than those of BRPM's stockholders
generally, are set forth in the Proxy
Statement/Prospectus.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release includes "forward-looking
statements" pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the United
States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All
statements, other than statements of present or historical fact
included in this press release, regarding the proposed Business
Combination, the ability of the parties to consummate the proposed
Business Combination, the benefits and timing of the proposed
Business Combination, as well as the combined company's strategy,
future operations and financial performance, estimated financial
position, estimated revenues and losses, projections of market
opportunity and market share, projected costs, prospects, plans and
objectives of management are forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words
"budget," "could," "forecast," "future," "might," "outlook,"
"plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "seem,"
"seek," "strive," "would," "should," "may," "believe," "intend,"
"expects," "will," "projected," "continue," "increase," and/or
similar expressions that concern BRPM's or FaZe Clan's strategy,
plans or intentions, but the absence of these words does not mean
that a statement is not forward-looking. Such statements are made
pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are based on the management of
BRPM's and FaZe Clan's belief or interpretation of information
currently available.
These forward-looking statements are based on various
assumptions, whether or not identified herein, and on the current
expectations of BRPM's and FaZe Clan's management and are not
predictions of actual performance. Because forward-looking
statements are predictions, projections and other statements about
future events that are based on current expectations and
assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, they
are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in
circumstances that are difficult to predict. Many factors could
cause actual results and condition (financial or otherwise) to
differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking
statements, including but not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any
event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the
termination of negotiations and any subsequent definitive
agreements with respect to the proposed Business Combination; (2)
the outcome of any legal proceedings or other disputes that may be
instituted against BRPM, FaZe Clan, the combined company or others;
(3) the inability to complete the proposed Business Combination due
to the failure to obtain approval of the stockholders of BRPM, to
satisfy the minimum cash condition following redemptions by BRPM's
public stockholders, to obtain certain governmental and regulatory
approvals or to satisfy other conditions to closing; (4) changes to
the proposed structure of the proposed Business Combination that
may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or
regulations, including the risk that any regulatory approvals are
not obtained, are delayed or are subject to unanticipated
conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the
expected benefits of the proposed Business Combination; (5) the
ability to meet stock exchange listing standards following the
consummation of the proposed Business Combination; (6) the risk
that the proposed Business Combination disrupts current plans and
operations of BRPM or FaZe Clan as a result of the announcement and
consummation of the proposed Business Combination; (7) the ability
to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Business
Combination, which may be affected by, among other things,
competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage
growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and
suppliers and retain its management, key employees and talents; (8)
costs related to the proposed Business Combination; (9) changes in
applicable laws or regulations, including changes in domestic and
foreign business, market, financial, political, and legal
conditions; (10) the possibility that BRPM, FaZe Clan or the
combined company may be adversely affected by other economic,
business, and/or competitive factors; (11) the impact of COVID 19
on BRPM's or FaZe Clan's business and/or the ability of the parties
to complete the proposed Business Combination; (12) the inability
to complete the PIPE investments in connection with the proposed
Business Combination; and (13) other risks and uncertainties set
forth in BRPM's Form S-1 and in subsequent filings with the SEC,
including the Proxy Statement/Prospectus relating to the proposed
Business Combination. These forward-looking statements are provided
for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as,
and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an
assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or
probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or
impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual
events and circumstances are beyond the control of BRPM and FaZe
Clan. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are
made. While FaZe Clan and BRPM may elect to update these
forward-looking statements at some point in the future, FaZe Clan
and BRPM specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. These
forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as
representing FaZe Clan's and BRPM's assessments as of any date
subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue
reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking
statements.
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SOURCE FaZe Clan