October’s Mobile Movers and Shakers: New Unity CTO, Stillfront CEO and Supercell CMO exit, and more

To keep you up to date with the latest movers and shakers in the mobile games industry, we've put together a regular roundup of the latest hires, promotions and, in some cases, exits.

If you've recently joined a company or bagged a big promotion, or you're an employer that's just made a hire, drop us an email at news@pocketgamer.biz, and we can include it in our weekly update.

Below you can see our regularly updated roundup of October's mobile movers and shakers.

Additional reporting by Craig Chapple.

Unity executive reshuffle continues with new CTO

Unity has appointed ex-King CTO and Havok co-founder Steve Collins as its new chief technology officer.

He replaces previous chief product and technology officer Marc Whitten, who resigned from the company in June.

“We’re elated to have Steve join us at this pivotal time,” said Unity president and CEO Matt Bromberg.

“He has deep technical expertise in both gaming and marketing technology and he understands what developers need. Steve will play a key role as we continue to deliver more innovation, quality, and stability to our customers."

Collins added: "I've followed Unity for nearly two decades as it changed the world of games and real-time 3D content development, enabling creators to realise their artistic visions and reach global audiences across a wide range of devices.

"I'm super excited to be joining the very talented team behind the Unity Engine, and I look forward to helping make Unity an even better partner for its community."

Team17 names new CFO and COO

Team17 has named Jagex group CFO Rashid Varachia as chief financial officer and to the newly created position of chief operating officer with immediate effect.

He replaces current CFO Mark Crawford, who is stepping down on October 31st “to purse other business interests”. As well as working at Jagex, Varachia also previously held the role of group CFO at Codemasters.

"Firstly, I'd like to thank Mark for his contribution to Team17 over the last five years and wish him well in all his future endeavours,” said Team17 non-executive chair Frank Sagnier.

"I would also like to welcome Rashid into the Team17 family. He is a proven CFO and experienced video games industry professional, who has consistently delivered growth and value to investors in the sector.

“As we seek to accelerate growth and drive shareholder value, I am confident Rashid will be a great addition to the management team."

Senior apointments at Scopely and Kudos QA

Former Plarium VP of creative Nicholas Day has been recruited as Monopoly Go developer Scopely’s VP of growth.

In a LinkedIn post, Day said his role sits “squarely at the intersection of game development, marketing, user experience, IP licensing, community building, and creative content“.

“As I leap from building game worlds to helping them grow, I'm inspired by Scopely's dead-serious vision of being the best in the industry at what they do,” he said.

QA service provider Kudos QA has named Thouraya Walker and Daniel Atherton as co-CEOs. The two have also served as co-CEOs of Dune Technology

They have replaced former Kudos QA MD Andy Robson, who previously headed up Testology.

"We are thrilled to take the reins at Kudos QA, a company that has earned its reputation as a leader in gaming QA,” said Walker and Atherton in a joint statement.

“We’re equally excited to continue working with the incredibly talented team in Doncaster. Their creativity, technical expertise, and passion are at the core of what makes Kudos QA a trusted partner for the gaming industry. 

“With the gaming industry advancing rapidly, our goal is to stay ahead of the curve by adopting innovative technologies while maintaining the high standards of service that our clients expect. We look forward to driving the next phase of growth at Kudos QA."

New recruits at Huuuge Games, PlayStack and Vice

Former Huuuge Games chief commercial officer Jon Bellamy has been named as a board member at RuneScape developer Jagex. He previously worked at the Cambridge-based studio for nearly three years, serving as associate, strategy and M&A.

Thunderful Games brand manager Brandon Dean has joined publisher PlayStack as marketing manager. 

Former NaturalMotion director of product Guy Pearce has started a new consultancy firm GameFlex Consultants, taking on the role of founding partner. The company offers brand, marketing and growth services for development and publishing teams. As well as working at NaturalMotion, Pearce has previously held roles at Hutch, Jagex and Caperfly, among other companies.

Ex-PC Invasion associate editor and Savage Ventures staff writer Dwayne Jenkins has been appointed as managing editor at VICE Media’s Waypoint gaming vertical.

Netflix recruits and cuts senior staff

Netflix Games has hired Epic Games VP of game development Jeet Shroff as VP of game technology and portfolio development, according to reports from Business Insider and Game File. BI reported that Shroff has been tasked with “promoting consistency across its portfolio of games, both licensed and homegrown".

The news comes as Netflix reportedly cut 35 staff from its games team, which included the closure of its in-house ‘triple-A’ developer Team Blue. The decision to close the studio led to the departure of senior staff, including former Overwatch executive producer Chacko Sonny, ex-Halo creative lead Joseph Staten and God of War art director Rafael Grassetti.

Homa hybridcasual hires

Homa has made a string of hires as it beefs up its growing hybridcasual division. The France-based games publisher has recruited former Zynga senior studio director of product Ayush Singh as its new VP and general manager of hybridcasual, who has been tasked with driving the development of titles in the genre.

While at Zynga, Singh oversaw product for midcore studios and titles such as the CSR Racing games and Star Wars: Hunters. He also previously served as GM and head of product at PokerStars, among other roles.

Homa has also hired two new lead producers for its hybridcasual division. Isaac Chan has joined the company from Riot Games, where he served as senior game producer. Ryan Uota, meanwhile, has joined from Scopely, where he held the role of producer.

"We're thrilled about the evolution and growth of our hybridcasual team,” said Homa president and CBO Henry Lowenfels. “With an ambitious plan to build top-grossing games, we're confident Ayush will play a key role in leading Homa to success."

Movers at PlayCap, EA, Rovio and Tripledot Studios

PlayCap, a growing angel investment network of experienced women in the games industry, has added more investors to the group.

The latest to join the network include StartGate global business development manager Fidan Rustamli and SHAMSCO founder and senior gaming growth consultant Sara El Bachri. PlayCap now has more than 120 women in its network.

Rovio has appointed Matias Civit as marketing creative consultant. He has previously served as marketing director at Dynasty Studios and head of marketing creative at Paradox Interactive.

Rovio’s Pekka Korpela, meanwhile, has started a new position att the company as program manager for The Angry Birds Movie 3. He has been with the company since 2020 and recently held the role of licensing manager.
 
Titan AI co-founder and CEO Fabien-Pierre Nicolas-Kim has joined EA as director of product marketing, working across titles such as Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, Golf Clash and the Plants vs. Zombies franchise.

Former ConsultMyApp lead data analyst Apitchaya Rawara has been recruited as senior business intelligence analyst at Tripledot Studios.

New appointments at Hutch, Sandsoft, GameBCN and Devcom

TreesPlease Games co-founder and design director Jamie Stowe has left the developer after three-and-a-half years to join racing games specialist Hutch as creative director. He has previously held roles at King, 22cans and Ubisoft Singapore.

Games publisher Sandsoft has appointed former Codigames VP of growth Dima Pinchuk as an advisor.

Ex-G.Round head of publisher relations Agne Vitkute has been named as program manager for GameTech at GameBCN. The company runs a games incubation programme based in Barcelona that offers training and mentoring to help developers launch their games.

Conference organiser Devcom has named Sonia Wojciechowska as its new business development manager. She has previously acted as a member of the Digital Dragons team and co-created initiatives such as Digital Dragons Academy and KrakJam. She has also held roles with Roboto Global, inStreamly and PixelAnt Games.

Executive departures at Supercell, Stillfront and Alictus

Supercell chief marketing officer Fernanda Romano has exited the Finnish developer. She had joined in November 2023 as the studio looked to shake up its management structure with new hires. She became the first person to hold the CMO position at the company.

Romano previously worked as SVP, CMO at King and as CMO at flip-flop brand Alpargatas SA.

Alictus CEO Emre Tas and COO Ecem Baran have left Turkey-based developer Alictus 11 years after founding the studio. The company was acquired by SciPlay in 2022 in a deal worth up to $100 million.

“It’s been 2.5 years since Alictus was acquired by SciPlay and we can now step away with peace of mind, knowing that our team is on a clear and promising path to new heights,” said Baran in a LinkedIn post.

She added: “Now, it’s time for us to slow down a bit, tend to the soil, and prepare for our next adventure. We’ll continue to plant seeds that we hope will flourish and make a meaningful impact on the world.”

Sviper co-founder Ole Schaper is stepping down as CEO of the company after eight years. The studio was acquired by The Sandbox in January 2023.

“After an incredible journey, I’m officially stepping away from Sviper, the company I co-founded back in 2016 and proudly saw grow into something very special,” said Schaper in a LinkedIn post. “From day one, it’s been a remarkable ride filled with innovation, challenges, and a great team that made all the difference.”

Stillfront CEO Jörgen Larsson has left the publisher 14 years after founding it, with president of publishing and business acceleration Alexis Bonte taking on the top role on an interim basis while a successor is found.

The move comes as the company plans to split its operations into three business areas as it looks to raise revenue and profitability. Those divisions include Europe, North America, and MENA/APAC, each reporting as separate segments.

The move resulted in the reduction of Stilfront’s management team from 11 to seven. As part of those plans, it named senior VP of business operations Armin Busen as executive VP of Europe, moved its senior VP of operations and platform Alexandre Salem to the role of EVP of MENA/APAC, and it is recruiting an EVP for North America.

"I am very proud of the journey Stillfront has made and the leading position the company holds today,” said Larsson. “Stillfront has an experienced team, and the right strategy with great opportunities ahead. I will remain a significant shareholder and continue to closely follow the company.”

Alexis Bonte commented: “Stillfront’s strategy remains unchanged, and the focus is on executing the synergy phase, particularly by implementing the new organizational and governance model as quickly as possible. This will provide better conditions for the game teams to focus on core activities, enable growth, and achieve our cost-saving goals according to the timeline we have presented.”

Movers at Xsolla, Rollic and Kohort

Games commerce company Xsolla has appointed Zoran Vasiljev as its senior VP of global strategic partnerships. He has previously worked as the CEO of Centili and Apigate, and holds leadership positions at firms including Vega IT Axiata Digital and Value Partners.

“Zoran Vasiljev’s appointment as senior vice president of global strategic partnerships is a key development for Xsolla,” said Xsolla founder and CEO Shurick Agapitov.

“His extensive experience and proven leadership in the digital and telecom sectors perfectly align with our vision of advancing game commerce and expanding our global reach. We are confident that Zoran will play a crucial role in enhancing our strategic partnerships and driving our continued success in the gaming industry.”

Former Moon Active lead designer Artun Ayata has joined Zynga-owned Rollic as game manager. His previous credits also include Gamegos, Matchingham Games and Zerosum Games.

Kohort has named Heracles Capital GM and Mobile Dev Memo creator Eric Seufert as a strategic advisor for the company. Meanwhile, UA and marketing consultant at lancaric.me, Matej Lancaric, has been appointed as an industry partner for the firm.

New roles at Coherence, Bastion, Huuuge Games, Voodoo, ZiMad and Playrix

Multiplayer networking solutions provider Coherence has recruited Wesley Adams as its head of marketing. He previously worked as senior manager of product marketing for Unity Gaming Services. Previously Adams has also held roles at Autodesk and CAE.

Ex-Ripstone head of marketing and partnerships Jamie Brayshaw has joined communications and marketing agency Bastion as commercial director. As well as Ripstone, he has also previously worked at Codemasters, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, and EA.

Rodolfo Rinaldi Rincon has joined social casino games developer Huuuge Games as VP of insights and growth. He previously worked at Tilting Point as VP of insights and strategy, and has held roles at various Google divisions, including Play and Stadia.

Ubisoft monetisation director Alexandre Macmillan has stepped into a new role as product lead at hypercasual and hybridcasual games specialist Voodoo.

Elizaveta Savenkova has been promoted to chief business development officer at US developer and publisher ZiMAD. She previously held the role of head of business development and has worked at the company for four years.

Gardenscapes and Homescapes developer Playrix has recruited Elizaveta Komarova as a UI artist. Her previous credits include Mytona and My.Games.

New leaders at VSPO and Big Fan Games

Esports events operator VSPO has named co-founder, CFO and head of global strategy Danny Tang as its new CEO. Previous incumbent, Dino Ying, will move into the role of executive chairman.

“A heartfelt thank you to Dino Ying, who will now be transitioning to executive chairman after eight incredible years as CEO,” said Tang in a LinkedIn post.

“His visionary leadership has been a driving force behind VSPO’s success, and I’m excited to continue working alongside him and our talented team.

“As we celebrate the recent launch of the Esports Asian Champions League, VSPO stands on the cusp of an exciting new chapter. I’m committed to guiding us through this next phase as we continue to contribute to the development of esports globally.”

Ying commented: “In my new role, I look forward to continuing to work closely with Danny but also focusing on exploring and creating the next generation of esports products and experiences. I will also dedicate more time to our new product, the Esports Asian Champions League, while further supporting the vision and development of the Esports World Cup and the Olympic Esports Games.
 
“Under Danny's leadership as CEO, I have full confidence that VSPO will continue to expand its operations and progress its global growth strategy.” 

Good Sheperated Entertainment GM Lincoln Hershberger has been appointed as the general manager of Devolver Digital’s new indie publishing label Big Fan Games. The division aims to help independent developers bring top licensed IP from other entertainment mediums like film, comics and TV to games.

“While launching this new publishing label is very exciting, we have a lot of work ahead of us," said Hershberger in a LinkedIn post. 

"We all know it's not easy to make and publish great games. Especially right now. Special thanks to all the indie developers out there who are the bedrock of the gaming industry. So many great indie games have launched this year. It shows that the indie dev community is thriving.

“Although there are a ton of challenges, there's also a ton of potential. Devolver has built a great foundation and I'm stoked to be leading a small part of a great team that has a clear vision for the future.”

Departures at MTG and Playrix

Modern Times Group chief financial officer Nils Mösko has left the company by mutual agreement with immediate effect. He had been in the role for the past year, having joined in August 2023.

He previously worked as chief strategy officer, global head of strategy and business development at Polestar, and prior to that as VP, head of investor relations at Volvo.

MTG CEO Maria Redin will take on CFO duties while the search for a replacement gets underway.

“I would like to thank Nils for his contribution during his time with MTG,” said Redin.

“He has a clear focus on strong processes and a passion for bringing together international organisations. We wish him the very best in his continued career.”

Playrix chief business development officer Maxim Kirilenko has left the Gardenscapes and Homescapes developer after 6.5 years with the company.

“Reflecting on my time here, I am immensely proud of the many great things we accomplished and the achievements we unlocked in such a short period,” said Kirilenko in a LinkedIn post.

“I truly believe that our success was made possible by the exceptional people within the Playrix team and our partners. Working alongside such talented and innovative individuals has been a true privilege.

"Together, we transformed Playrix into one of the world’s leading mobile gaming companies, driving significant revenue growth, launching groundbreaking initiatives, and scaling new markets.”

Movers and shakers at Raptor PR, Gamelight, Sunday, Overload PR, Dolphin Games and Breda University

Raptor PR’s Joshua Callaghan has been promoted to the role of senior account executive, having previously worked as account exec.

Gamelight’s Kathleen Sherman has been promoted to the position of senior business development manager. She previously served as business development manager for the rewarded marketing platform.

Former Sunday director of publishing and acquisitions Balaji Vijayan has joined games platform FRVR as VP of publishing.

Ex-Sega senior PR manager for EMEA Poppy Byron has been named as senior PR manager at Overload PR. She has previously worked at companies including CI Games, United Label, Sennheiser Communications and SYBO, amongst others.

Muhammad Awais Bin Ameer has started a new position as CEO of new Pakistan mobile developer Dolphin Games.

Steel Media alum Patty Toledo has joined Breda University of Applied Sciences as manager and lecturer for the Academy of AI Games and Media. Toledo previously worked as head of content at Steel Media and led the agenda for Pocket Gamer Connects conferences around the world. More recently, Toledo acted as chief partnerships officer at Playsense.

AI innovations at Charismatic.ai

Guy Gadney, co-founder and CEO of Charisma.ai, expands on his creative AI ambitions by stepping into a new position as chief executive officer at Charismatic.ai. The role will focus on leading and exploring the development of the company's £1.04 million AI and storytelling project. 

Newly founded 

Croissant Games was founded by creative consultant and solopreneur Claire Rozain. Based in France, the studio aims to blend traditional French themes with modern game trends. 

“At Croissant Games, we combine the art of French craftsmanship with the excitement of interactive storytelling to create games that are as satisfying as a fresh croissant with rapid prototyping. Our mission is to bake up small, flavorful gaming experiences that delight players, delivering a taste of French culture in every bite. We’re all about serving up bite-sized fun with layers of rich gameplay,” said Rozain on LinkedIn.

New hires at Cypher Games, Voodoo and Trailmix Games

Serif Karasu joins Cypher Games and its new visual development director, bringing experience from a previous position at Dream Games as a senior visual development artist. 

Tom J. Laniado joins Voodoo as its senior game designer. Laniado brings years of experience to the role, having held the same position at FunPlus and Scopely and other experiences at King, where he acted as its QA project lead back in 2019. 

Dasha Barsky steps into the role of QA analyst at Trailmix Games. This new position comes just as her position at Rocksteady ended, where she held the position of a junior QA tester.