Industry Jobs Update: January 2026 - Notable Appointments and Transitions

Staying on top of the constant flux of personnel changes within the gaming industry can be daunting, which is why we compile these updates in regular installments. To submit new appointments or company transitions for inclusion, please email the appointee's name, new role, company, and previous role and company to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Recently, Chris Leggett has taken on the role of senior communications manager for Xbox at Microsoft. Leggett brings experience from his four-year tenure supporting Xbox communications at Assembly Media, where he worked on high-profile launches such as Xbox Cloud Gaming and the Xbox Series X|S. Between his roles at Assembly and Microsoft, Leggett also served as PR manager at Amazon Game Studios and held senior management positions at WE Communications, working closely with Microsoft on projects like Windows Mixed Reality and Microsoft HoloLens. "I'm excited to be working with Xbox again and to be reuniting with colleagues from both Xbox and Assembly," Leggett stated, adding, "I'm also looking forward to meeting new team members." In another key move, Jo Cooke has been appointed as the new CEO of Frontier Developments. Cooke previously served as chief marketing officer at Frontier, having initially joined the company in 2014 as director of marketing, ecommerce, and publishing, before returning in 2025. Her career also includes roles as group director at Bastion, marketing manager at Ocean Software, and European general manager at Maxis/Electronic Arts, as well as marketing leadership positions at Bossa Studios and Curve Games. "I've been handed the CEO role by Jonny Watts, and while his are big shoes to fill, I'm eager to continue the strategy he's set out and focus on delighting our players while delivering more outstanding games from Frontier," Cooke said. Finnish game developer Nitro Games has promoted Antti Ruonala to COO and Milka Tarkiainen to CPO. Ruonala, who joined the company in 2014 as a business development assistant, has held various leadership roles including head of operations, head of B2B, business development director, and head of business development. Tarkiainen, previously director of PeopleOps, joined Nitro Games in 2017 as a marketing coordinator, bringing experience from HR management roles. "Throughout my nearly nine-year journey at Nitro Games, I've learned more than I could have imagined," Tarkiainen reflected, expressing gratitude for the trust and freedom she's been given to explore and help build the company from an HR perspective. She noted, "We've tried, measured, failed, succeeded, lost, gained, and learned a great deal, preparing me for this next chapter and responsibility within a company I deeply love." Jay Kim has joined Kuro Games as general manager for Korea, bringing experience from general managerial roles at Infold and Scopely, as well as head of business development for Korea and Japan at Tilting Point. Kim started his career in the gaming industry at Razer in 2010 as Korea country manager, later holding the same position at Glu Mobile. "I'm thrilled to announce my new role at Kuro Games, a developer that prioritizes player experience above all else," Kim said, looking forward to leading the Korean branch and building stronger local communities. Johny Scaglione has been promoted to executive producer at Azra Games, after joining the company in 2024 as senior director of production. Previously, Scaglione worked at Scopely for five years, progressing from senior producer to lead producer and then production director. He also held roles at Electronic Arts, IUGO Mobile Entertainment, and Offworld Industries. Jeremy Griffith has been promoted to creative director at Theorycraft Games, having initially joined in 2021 as principal VFX artist and later working as senior game designer. Before Theorycraft, Griffith was lead VFX artist at Cloud Chamber and senior VFX artist at Riot Games, also providing remote FX development services to multiple clients. "Despite the challenges of 2025, I'm excited to take on the role of Creative Director, leveraging my full range of skills to tackle new and exciting problems," Griffith said.