Honoree: Clarissa Avendano

Chief Financial Officer
Gen.G Esports

Clarissa Avendano currently serves as the CFO for Gen.G Esports, which has a global presence across key markets in Seoul, Shanghai and Los Angeles. Since she joined in early 2020, the company has tripled in size, and she led the financial due diligence for the company’s latest major round of fundraising. She carries over 20 years of experience across several industries, starting her career at Deloitte navigating corporate clientele (Northrop Grumman and Dole Food Company) through complex accounting transactions, steering the Sarbanes-Oxley international accounting and SEC reporting at Korn/Ferry International, and driving profitability across a variety of consumer product manufacturing corporations (Merle Norman Cosmetics/Topson Downs).

Experienced in multiple industries, including esports, apparel/fashion/cosmetics, manufacturing and professional services, Avendano can deftly navigate concepts and business events at a high level while also understanding how to dig into detailed transactions. Able to manage a variety of vendor relationships, contract negotiations, banking and treasury functions, she specializes in analytical skills, training and process development, internal controls, systems implementation and integration and accounting. She has provided and executed critical financial and operational recommendations that have resulted in multi-million dollars of impact on the companies she has served. Under Avendano’s fiscal stewardship, Gen.G Esports has become a leading operator of an esports organization intended to create and guide esports teams into champions on the international stage.

The company offers a wide range of professional services, such as premier esports coaching and training, lifestyle management and business acumen development to build a large roster of teams that can participate in multiple official esports competitions, enabling esports enthusiasts to develop and grow their career. Avendano graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in business/economics and an accounting minor and holds an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management with an Advanced International Management Certification. She is also an active CPA in California. Avendano continues her involvement at UCLA Anderson, mentoring student teams through their master’s theses and has been an alumni judge in evaluating M.B.A. business plans since 2013.