French board game company IELLO is severing ties with IELLO USA and its COO, Stephan Brissaud, the company announced. The company “…has decided to rethink the distribution of its products IELLO and LOKI in the United States and in Canada,” it said in its announcement. “Consequently, IELLO, through its legal advisor, terminated the distribution agreement, effective December 31, 2021, which authorized IELLO USA to distribute IELLO products in the United States, ending any collaboration with Mr. Stephan Brissaud, COO of IELLO USA. IELLO reserves the right to communicate at a later date on the reasons which led to these decisions.”
The French board game company IELLO was formed in 2004 by Cedric Barbe and Patrice Boulet as a distributor. Later it began localizing games for the French market, and in 2009 it began publishing its own games. IELLO USA is an LLC formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2012. Most recently it listed Barbe and Boulet, Brissaud, and the Luxemburg company Sarl Cartagogoiello as managing members. The Las Vegas LLC will no longer handle North American distribution of IELLO games after December 31.
The IELLO USA website at IELLOUSA.com has been shut down except for an email signup for notifications when a new site launches; a new placeholder page at IELLONA.com has been launched.
In addition to his role at IELLO USA, Brissaud was re-elected to the board of directors of game trade organization GAMA in a recent special election (see “GAMA Reveals Special Election Results“). In 2018, Brissaud, then President of the organization, was censured by the GAMA board over an incident that led to his expulsion from leading U.S. game show Gen Con (see “GAMA Board Censures Organization President”). Brissaud’s continued role as President led to multiple resignations from the board (see “Stackpole: GAMA Board is Broken“). There’s no indication from Iello as to whether or not that incident had anything to do with its decision to cut ties.
Source: ICv2
