Mobile Removals: All the latest appointments and job moves from across the industry

Who, where and why… The mobile industry is huge and there are many things to keep track of. Whether it’s new board members, executives or key team members moving on, jumping ship or simply gaining an edge. Knowing who’s going where and doing what is key to understanding the industry and where to look next.

This is where our employee breakdown comes into play. Who, what, for whom and where… Here’s our latest look at the latest moves. Starting with…

Devin Radford joins Homa as the new vice president of business development

Devin Radford, with 18 years of experience in business development, joins Homa after serving as an executive at video game licensing company OneTeam Partners and serving in executive positions at Disney and FoxNext.

In his new role, Radford will enhance Homa’s game development ecosystem and lead strategic partnerships with studios, including driving Homa’s transition into game publishing, forging new third-party deals, as well as Homa’s product strategies and corporate development teams to create new games.

“I am truly excited to join Homa at this pivotal time in its development and to work with such an experienced team. I look forward to connecting with the best studios that can contribute to Homa’s mission of providing audiences with incredible gaming experiences,” said Radford.

Fingersoft appoints Mikko Kirmanen as head of development

After seven years at Fingersoft, Miiko Kirmanen was promoted again, this time to the position of development director. The new role means Kirmanen will now lead the marketing department aimed at growing Fingersoft “through great games.”

This promotion saw Kirmanen move up from his role as director of user acquisition, where he tested ad creatives, UA KPIs, channels, and more. He has clearly proven himself worthy of continued responsibility and Fingersoft’s focus on keeping it “small and personal” “the relaxed, relaxed and informal work atmosphere” is reflected in this internal promotion, which has seen Kirmanen remain with the company since he joined in 2017 publishing director.

“I feel honored and grateful to have been selected as the new Chief Development Officer at Fingersoft! I will do my best to lead the development teams – busy times are ahead,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

Michael Pattison is the new vice president of Lightspeed Studios

Michael Pattison joins Lightspeed Studios with over twenty years of industry experience. Pattison worked in senior positions at THQ and Capcom before becoming lead third-party publisher, developer relations and global marketing for Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2013.

Pattison previously served as CEO of Team 17 after eight years at PlayStation.

With over 28 years of experience in the creative technology industry, Michael’s experience spans multiple areas of the business, including senior management positions across platforms, publishers and developers working across console, PC, mobile, streaming and subscription models.

“The hiring of Pattison is invaluable as we continue to innovate and create exceptional gaming experiences for our players on a global scale,” said Steve C Martin, vice president of Lightspeed.

Tracey Watson has been promoted to senior manager of content design at Netflix

Tracey Watson, who previously held four positions at Netflix, will be promoted to senior manager of content design.

Previously, Watson was the UX and Content Design Lead at Netflix Games, as Content Design Manager at Emerging Content Experience, and before that, a Games Content Designer.

Prior to her career at Netflix, Watson worked as a studio head of narrative design at King, working on Candy Crush Saga. There, she managed a team of narrative designers and led the narrative design department at King’s flagship studio in Stockholm, overseeing creative story, game and brand elements for multiple titles across studios.

Commenting on her new appointment, she said: “It helps that I have the best team and partners in the industry!” in a post on LinkedIn.

Ryan Goeden has been named director of game sales at RTB House

“A few weeks ago I started a new adventure with RTB House. The sophistication of the product, the size and scale of the customer base, and the global reach of the company truly made this an offer we couldn’t refuse,” Goeden wrote on LinkedIn.

“With thousands of clients around the world, most of whom are household names, I truly feel like I’m sitting on a rocket ship. I will be looking after gaming clients, so expect to see us back on the conference trail sooner rather than later.”

Previously, Goeden was senior development manager at Kayzen, vice president of sales for EMEA at Kochava and chief commercial officer at HOKO.

Hasit Zala is the new store product manager at Supercell

Zala begins her new role at Supercell after a stint at Riot Games as Director of Product Management, where she led a team specializing in commerce, B2B, in-store and out-of-game commerce, as well as influencer and metaverse relationships.

As an executive producer with over 25 years of game development experience, Zala has a proven track record of leading successful projects, managing cross-functional teams, and driving revenue growth. His new role provides him with the opportunity to bring strategic vision and leadership to a dynamic gaming environment.He announced his new appointment here via LinkedIn.

Edvard Groundstroem joins Lightheart Entertainment as a featured player

Flowstate Games co-founder Edvard Groundstroem joined Lightheart Entertainment as game manager following the closure of Flowstate in April. Over the course of four years, Groundstroem learned: “new skills like game design, ad monetization, UA, product management and, I guess, also the CEO position,” and also brings experience from his role as CMO at Rovio.

Running Flowstate has provided GroundStroem with multiple opportunities to contact Lightheart co-founder Miika Ahonen for assistance with product-related questions, and now that Groundstroem has joined the company, the two will be able to work even more closely.

“I’m excited to announce that I’m starting a new product development position at Lightheart Entertainment!” – he posted on LinkedIn.

Antoine Madre joins Supercell as product leader

After moving from Barcelona to Helsinki, Antoine Madre joined Supercell as a product manager on a new title, the nature of which remains a secret for now. After more than eight years in Barcelona, he and his family made the decision to move following the recent end of his tenure at Voodoo.

Madre also worked for King in Barcelona, serving as studio operations director on Candy Crush Soda Saga. Previously, he was a senior product manager at gamigo in Germany.

“To say I’m excited to start working at Supercell would be an understatement! Joining this team is a dream come true for both a player and an industry professional. The first few days were simply amazing as I delved into the world of the new project,” he shared on LinkedIn.

“At a time when many gaming professionals are facing uncertainty, I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity… PS Moving to Helsinki? Absolutely relaxing – in a good way!”

Emily Wang is the new COO and Partner of Griffin Gaming Partners

Emily Wang’s portfolio has expanded again since joining Griffin Gaming Partners as Partner and Chief Operating Officer; Wang is already a board member of Hardball Games and Muus Collective, so this new role only adds to her ambitious list of responsibilities.

Over the past 12 years, Wang has advised on over $15 billion in sell-side and buy-side transactions across a variety of industries, including technology. Such deals include Next Games for Netflix and PullString for Apple, and Wang is also passionate about uplifting women-led organizations.

“Hot press. “Muus board member, friend and champion Emily Wang has joined Griffin Gaming Partners as partner and COO,” Muus Collective celebrated in a LinkedIn post. “Congratulations, Emilka!”

Matthew Bromberg is the new CEO of Unity

With over 20 years of experience in the video game industry, Bromberg will assume the role of CEO of Unity effective Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Interim CEO Jim Whitehurst will leave the position to become Executive Chairman of Unity’s board, while Roelof Botha will transition to the role of independent CEO.

“I am excited to join Unity as we look to its next chapter,” said Bromberg. “I look forward to working with Jim, the Board and the amazing people at Unity to provide creators with the best integrated platform that will enable audiences around the world to deliver great games and experiences while helping accelerate the company’s revenue growth and profitability.”

Bromberg’s extensive career includes serving as a member of Fitbit’s board of directors from March 2018 to January 2021. Prior to these appointments, he founded I’mOK Inc, where he served as CEO from October 2010 to March 2012 and played key roles in Zynga companies and Electronic Art.