Ubisoft founder to be named 2009 ESA Champion
He will not get a title belt though, but maybe a nice plaque. The ESA Foundation will honor Yves Guillemot, chairman and chief executive officer of Ubisoft, as the 2009 ESA Champion at this year’s Nite to Unite for Kids event. The annual black-tie gala will take place on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 and recognize Guillemot while raising money for the foundation’s work on behalf of children.
In 1986, Guillemot saw the potential of entertainment software and collaborated with his four brothers to create Ubisoft. More than two decades later, Yves’ business acumen has put Ubisoft into athe position of an entertainment software industry leader. Today, the company is the fourth largest independent publisher in the U.S. and the creator of such hits as Assassin’s Creed , Prince of Persia, Rayman, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon.
Guillemot joins a distinguished list of entertainment software luminaries including George Lucas, Dan DeMatteo; Electronic Arts’ Bing Gordon; Toys ‘R Us’ Michael Goldstein; Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and Howard Lincoln; Sega’s Isao Ogawa; Sony Computer Entertainment’s Ken Kutaragi and Electronic Boutique’s Jeffery Griffiths.
The 2009 Nite to Unite for Kids is open to everyone with tickets costing $500 each. Table sponsorships are also available. For ticket information call 800-949-3660.


