- H4X officially announces Cole Gurman, son of founder Jon Gurman, as the company’s chief executive officer.
- Jon Gurman will stay on as chairman with a focus on strategic licensing partnerships and retail initiatives.
- As CEO, Cole Gurman will bring a financial background and “millennial mindset” to the apparel brand, with an emphasis on improving player performance.
Moniker Inc., the company behind esports apparel brand H4X, has appointed Cole Gurman as CEO. Company founder and previous CEO Jon Gurman will remain with the company as chairman.
The Gurman family has been working in the clothing industry for three generations. Cole Gurman told The Esports Observer that while growing up, he was acutely aware of the relationship between fashion and pop culture.
“As a young rapper and musician I was very into fashion and my father [Jon Gurman] being who he is, I was pretty much de facto merchandiser at a young age,” Cole Gurman said, noting that Adidas partnering with Run DMC created a shift in the music landscape.
Apparel partnerships are now occurring regularly in esports and Cole Gurman believes he is well equipped to speak the audience’s language.
“Esports is a young space,” said Gurman. “I think it’s to your advantage, having a millennial mindset behind you, especially if you’re trying to build a brand that derives inspiration from gaming and pop culture. I believe that played a critical role as to why [I was chosen for CEO]. There were many moving variables that attributed to my new role, and the synergy between my eye for fashion and field of study certainly carried weight…”
Related Article: H4X to Sell Esports Apparel at Select Macy’s Retail Locations
Moving forward, Cole Gurman wants to expand the company’s offerings and strengthen its mission statement of improving player performance. “Securing key collabs and finding synergies with different brands that are specialized and focused in their field will allow us to broaden our product mix,” he said. “For example, sneakers, backpacks, or headwear – products that align with our brand from both a performance and aesthetic standpoint. You can also expect us to activate co-branded entertainment, music, and character collaborations as well as integrated technology.”
While Cole Gurman leads the charge, he says his father is unparalleled in terms of production and retail experience.
“My father’s pedigree in the apparel industry is absolute, and as chairman, he has a critical role to play. With his 40 years of supply chain management experience and key relationships with top quality manufacturers worldwide, he enables Moniker to achieve healthy margins for our omni-channel distribution.“
“Procuring key partnerships and heading up our retail initiatives comes to natural to him. All of this to say, having him focus on what he does best will continue to put the company in a fortuitous position. Overall, I’m lucky to have a strong team behind me, including strategic partners like Bitkraft and all of its portfolio companies and management team, notably, Jens Hilgers.”
Founded in 2016 , Moniker Inc. first unveiled the H4X brand in 2018. The company recently launched a new uniform line for Complexity Gaming 
—as part of the team’s rebrand—and introduced a line of apparel at both Macy’s online store and in nearly 50 participating retail locations.
This interview was conducted by Trent Murray.
