It may be tough holding observe of the varied comings and goings within the video games trade, which is why we compile them in semi-regular round-ups.
When you have new appointments or transitions in your organization that belong right here, please ship the names of appointees, new function and firm, and prior function and firm to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
Karl Stricker | CRO, Virtuos
Virtuos has appointed Karl Stricker as chief income officer.
Stricker will report on to Virtuos CEO Gilles Langourieux as a part of its govt management staff, and shall be based mostly in Redmond, Washington.
Stricker was beforehand senior vp of enterprise growth at Xsolla, and has over twenty years of expertise within the video games and know-how industries.
This consists of management roles at Microsoft as a part of Xbox publishing. He was additionally a founding member of Amazon Luna, and led enterprise growth for video games on the Amazon appstore.
“What drew me to Virtuos is the best way groups work intently with companions to unravel actual issues and ship constantly high-quality outcomes,” stated Stricker.
“I am excited to work alongside passionate groups throughout the corporate by working as One Workforce, to create extra worth for our shoppers and in the end assist convey higher video games to gamers.”
Valentine Piedelievre-Eman | CCO, Ubisoft
Valentine Piedelievre-Eman has been named CCO at Ubisoft, beginning on February 2, 2026.
Piedelievre-Eman will “lead growth and implementation of [its] world communications and company model technique.”
She is going to report back to Cécile Russeil, Ubisoft’s govt vp of communications, company affairs, DIA, human assets, and authorized.
“I’m delighted to welcome Valentine to Ubisoft. She brings each a strategic imaginative and prescient and a realistic method to communications,” stated Russeil.
“Her in depth expertise throughout leisure and know-how in worldwide organisations shall be a powerful asset as Ubisoft accelerates its complete transformation, and her appointment displays our ambition to raise communications as a strategic perform that totally defines and owns our narrative and helps our individuals, our gamers, our enterprise goals, and Ubisoft’s future.”
Piedelievre-Eman beforehand served as vp of company communications at Warner Bros. Discovery for Western Europe and Africa. She led communications throughout France, the Benelux, Germany, and Africa, overlaying the group’s portfolio enterprise.
She has additionally held senior communications roles at Expleo, SAP, and the Thomson Reuters Basis.
Dan Prigg | EVP and head of video games, Paramount
Dan Prigg has been appointed EVP and head of video games at Paramount.
On this function, Prigg shall be answerable for executing “the long-term interactive leisure technique for Paramount and Skydance.”
This consists of “overseeing inner growth, exterior publishing, and worldwide licensing to broaden franchise attain and develop [its] recreation portfolio.”
Prigg was beforehand govt vp and head of studio at Skydance Interactive for 4 years. He additionally labored at Scopely as an govt producer, was studio director at GameHouse, and head of studios at Spil Video games.
Cinzia Musio | Programme supervisor, UKIE
UKIE has appointed Cinzia Musio as its programme supervisor, main its fairness, variety, and inclusion technique.
Musio will lead UKIE’s Increase the Sport programme, and help the agency with “bringing in and delivering new funded programmes and constructing key partnerships.
Previous to becoming a member of UKIE, Musio was non-executive director at Code Coven. Additionally they held roles together with interim CEO, co-CEO, and variety, fairness, and inclusion advisor.
Musio’s first function within the video games trade was at Splash Injury in 2017, beginning as an affiliate tech ops supervisor. They moved up the ladder to turn out to be operations mission supervisor, then its variety and inclusion advisor.
“Alongside UKIE, I genuinely imagine I could make an incredible distinction in making our trade a safer place the place everybody will get to thrive, and I’m able to get issues into movement,” stated Musio.
“I’ve at all times had the worth that we’re stronger collectively, and my work will very a lot concentrate on bringing individuals throughout the trade collectively, and mix our efforts to result in actual, long-term change.”
Joshua Lamb | UK Communications supervisor, Ubisoft
Joshua Lamb has joined Ubisoft’s UK comms staff as communications supervisor.
Lamb labored in journalism for 4 and a half years. He started his profession at The Occasions as a neighborhood engagement journalist, earlier than establishing its gaming part and turning into the publication’s first video games critic.
“Ubisoft is a writer whose video games I’ve admired since I used to be a child taking part in Rayman and Driver on the PlayStation 1, so the possibility to be concerned in the whole lot it has arising sooner or later is a dream,” stated Lamb.
New hires at Secret Mode
Dan Robinson and Ade Lawton have joined Secret Mode as VP of selling and publishing director.
Robinson will lead the writer’s “full advertising staff throughout product advertising, communications, and artistic/model.” He’ll oversee all these disciplines throughout Secret Mode’s portfolio.
Previous to becoming a member of Secret Mode, Robinson was group industrial director at Revolt, having joined as head of video games advertising.
He additionally held govt roles at Motorsport Video games, Codemasters, and Eutechnyx.
Ade Lawton will lead “publishing efforts for a number of main titles” in his function as publishing director.
He’ll “act as a central level for these initiatives, overseeing the complete product lifecycle throughout inner groups and collaborating intently with companions, platform holders, and builders.”
Lawton beforehand labored at Kwalee, Workforce 17, and Codemasters.
Terri Chudzik joins Microsoft’s recreation content material & studios COO staff
Terri Chudzik has been promoted to strategic governance companion on Microsoft’s recreation content material and studios COO staff.
Chudzik has been at Microsoft for nearly three a long time, having joined in 1997 as senior program supervisor.
Previous to becoming a member of the COO staff, Chudzik was GM and product supervisor for the Xbox platform.
“My time in Xbox Platform Product Administration taught me how a lot readability and alignment matter whenever you’re making an attempt to scale influence, and I am excited to use these classes in a brand new method, creating the scaffolding that helps our studios thrive,” stated Chudzik.
Chris Leggett | Xbox senior communications supervisor, Microsoft
Microsoft has appointed Chris Leggett as Xbox senior communications supervisor.
Leggett beforehand supported Xbox communications for 4 years at Meeting Media, engaged on the launches of Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Sequence X|S.
Between his positions at Meeting and Microsoft, Leggett was PR supervisor at Amazon Sport Studios.
Leggett additionally labored with Microsoft whereas holding senior administration positions at WE Communications, engaged on Home windows Combined Actuality and Microsoft HoloLens.
“I am stoked to work on Xbox as soon as extra and to reunite with a number of unimaginable colleagues throughout each the Xbox and Meeting groups,” stated Leggett. “I am excited to get to know many new faces as effectively.”
Frontier Developments appoints Jo Cooke as CEO
Jo Cooke has been appointed CEO at Frontier Developments.
Cooke was chief advertising officer at Frontier, having returned to the corporate in 2025 after initially becoming a member of in 2014 as director of selling, ecommerce, and publishing.
Previous to rejoining Frontier, Cooke was group director at Bastion. She began her profession at Ocean Software program as advertising supervisor in 1990, then shifting to Maxis/Digital Arts as European normal supervisor.
Cooke additionally held advertising management positions at Bossa Studios and Curve Video games.
“I’ve been handed the CEO baton by the great Jonny Watts, large footwear to fill however I’m very a lot trying ahead to persevering with with the technique he has set,” stated Cooke.
“Delighting our gamers and delivering extra wonderful inventive administration sim video games from Frontier within the coming years.”
Jori Pearsall | SVP of video games, Niantic
Niantic has appointed Jori Pearsall as SVP of Video games.
Pearsall shall be answerable for leading the developer’s Tokyo Studio, and can “oversee cross-functional groups” whereas “forging and strengthening key partnerships with world IP holders and stakeholders.”
Previous to becoming a member of Niantic, spent greater than six years at Scopely, beginning as VP of product to SVP of product and studio normal supervisor.
“I could not be extra joyful to be working with such a proficient and passionate group of people that care deeply about Niantic’s mission to encourage individuals to get outdoors and discover the world collectively,” stated Pearsall.
“It is the right full circle second for me bringing collectively my private pursuits and all of my skilled expertise so far.”
Katie Scott | Head of Minecraft Vanilla, Mojang Studios
Katie Scott has been named head of Minecraft Vanilla at Mojang Studios.
Scott joined Mojang after working at Ubisoft as vp of its world inventive recreation workplace.
She additionally labored at The Coalition Studio as recreation design director and lead recreation designer on multiplayer and metagame, along with working at Digital Arts for over a decade in numerous senior recreation designer roles.
“Even with all that Minecraft has achieved, we nonetheless have a lot extra to supply and my purpose shall be to help the staff as we seize that potential,” stated Scott.
“I shall be relocating to Stockholm to hitch this wonderful staff – so, on a private degree, this can be a enormous journey.”
Management adjustments at Nitro Video games
Finnish developer Nitro Video games has promoted Antti Ruonala to COO and Milka Tarkiainen to CPO.
Ruonala was beforehand head of operations, having joined in 2014 as enterprise growth assistant. He held numerous management positions, together with head of B2B, enterprise growth director, and head of enterprise growth.
Tarkiainen was director of PeopleOps earlier than her promotion. She joined in 2017 as advertising coordinator, having labored in HR administration roles.
“Throughout my near nine-year-long journey at Nitro Video games, I’ve discovered greater than I ever thought potential,” stated Tarkiainen.
“Because of the virtually unwavering belief and freedom to discover from Jussi Tähtinen and Antti Villanen, I’ve had the chance and absolute pleasure to assist construct Nitro to what it’s now from the HR perspective.”
She added: “We now have tried, measured, failed, succeeded, misplaced, gained and discovered a ton, and it has prepped me to be prepared for this subsequent chapter and accountability inside the firm I really like so dearly.”
Jay Kim | Normal Supervisor of Korea, Kuro Video games
Jay Kim has joined Kuro Video games as normal supervisor of Korea.
Kim beforehand held normal managerial roles for Korea at Infold and Scopely, each for over two years.
He was additionally head of enterprise growth at cellular recreation writer Tilting Level for Korea and Japan.
Kim began his profession within the video games trade at Razer in 2010 as Korea nation supervisor, then held the identical place at Glu Cellular.
“I’m thrilled to announce my new function as Normal Supervisor of Korea at Kuro Video games,” stated Kim. “I’ve at all times admired builders who prioritize participant expertise above all else. Kuro Video games is an ideal instance of this.
“I’m honored to guide the Korean department and sit up for constructing even stronger native communities and delivering world-class service to our followers in Korea.”
Johny Scaglione | Govt producer, Azra Video games
Johny Scaglione has been promoted to govt producer at Azra Video games.
Scaglione joined the developer in 2024 as senior director of manufacturing.
He beforehand labored at Scopely for 5 years, beginning as senior producer earlier than turning into lead producer in 2021, then manufacturing director in 2023.
Scaglione was additionally assistant producer at Digital Arts for six years, and held producer roles at IUGO Cellular Leisure and Offworld Industries.
Jeremy Griffith | Artistic director, Theorycraft Video games
Jeremy Griffith has been promoted to inventive director of Theorycraft Video games.
Griffith joined the developer in 2021 as principal VFX artist, happening to work as senior recreation designer.
Earlier than Theorycraft, he was lead VFX artist at Cloud Chamber, and senior VFX artist at Riot Video games. Additionally offered distant FX growth work for a number of shoppers.
“2025 introduced lots of challenges, however I’m excited to announce that I’m taking over the function of Artistic Director at Theorycraft Video games,” stated Griffith.
“I’m very grateful for the chance to convey my entire skill-stack to bear on some cool issues and new enjoyable.”
Chris Redgrave | Enterprise growth govt, Raptor PR
Raptor PR has employed Chris Redgrave in its first devoted enterprise growth function.
As enterprise growth govt, Redgrave will “initially help social and PR supply for consumer accounts in a hybrid capability, earlier than transitioning to a full time enterprise growth function.”
Redgrave constructed his video games trade profession with Aaardvark Swift Recruitment. He beforehand labored at Phokou Digital, and has expertise throughout enterprise growth, social media, and industrial technique.
He’s additionally the founding father of Sport Scout Journal, a weblog supporting video games studio founders.
CJ Melendez | Vp of public relations, UberStrategist
CJ Melendez has been promoted to vp of public relations at UberStrategist.
Melendez has been on the online game PR and advertising company for over a decade, becoming a member of in 2014 as senior account director of PR providers.
“CJ has been a gentle supply of management and help for our staff, serving to us develop and succeed collectively,” stated UberStrategist.
“His promotion recognises not simply nice work, however the care and readability he brings to everybody round him.”