Former general counsel now heads Entertainment Software Association, succeeding Mike Gallagher

Pierre-Louis

The $38 million-revenue Entertainment Software Association has promoted Stanley Pierre-Louis to CEO, a move that may help the video game industry group regain its footing following alleged staff dissatisfaction with its former leadership.

Pierre-Louis previously was senior vice president and general counsel at ESA and has been acting CEO since the departure of Mike Gallagher in October 2018. Before joining the association in 2015, he was senior vice president and associate general counsel for intellectual property at Viacom.

"Stan's strategic vision, years of entertainment industry experience, and policy expertise make him the ideal choice to lead our industry through this period of growth and opportunity," Robert Altman, chairman of the ESA's board of directors, said in a statement.

The announcement about Pierre-Louis came three days after the entertainment industry publication Variety published what it said was a months-long investigation into the troubles plaguing ESA during Gallagher's tenure there. Citing anonymous sources, the report painted a picture of an organization where employees were generally unhappy with Gallagher's leadership, saying that he belittled staff in emails and bragged to one person that he liked to pit staffers against one another. The former CEO led the group for 11 years.

Gallagher's take-home pay was $1.38 million in 2018, according to tax filings. Pierre-Louis's take-home pay was $599,500 that same year.

ESA did not mention the group's alleged troubles in its announcement.

Before joining Viacom, Pierre-Louis was senior vice president for legal affairs at the Recording Industry Association of America, where he led legal fights against online music pirate sites such as MP3.com and Napster.

Pierre-Louis has a law degree from the University of Chicago.

Recruitment firm Heidrick & Struggles assisted in the search.