Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions across the games sector can be a real challenge. That’s why we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel moves. If your organization has news to share—new appointments, role changes, or exits—please forward the details (name, new title, new company, previous title, and previous company) to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
Amir Satvat has taken on the role of General Partner at 1Up Ventures. Prior to this, he was the Business Development Director at Tencent Games, where he helped shape the company’s strategic growth initiatives. Satvat also founded and runs Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), a platform dedicated to helping professionals find employment within the gaming industry. "I wanted a position where I could see a direct link between my actions, the team I work with, and the impact on getting people back into development jobs," Satvat explained.
"I’m passionate about turning more creators' dreams of building games into reality, especially within smaller studios that I love so much, and in an environment that puts community first. My final goal was to collaborate with colleagues who share the same values and integrity I hold myself to. Accepting 1Up’s invitation feels like all those wishes are coming true." He added, "1Up is a pivotal player in the gaming ecosystem, and I hope its unique investment approach endures for many years to come." After seven years at Supercell, Lasse Seppänen announced his departure. He joined the Finnish powerhouse in 2019 as a producer and later held senior positions, including Head of Game Production Services and General Manager of Supercell London.
"It’s time for me to return to my passion for creating new game IPs," Seppänen said. "I’ll remain in the UK, and in 2027 I plan to launch my own studio again – I’ll share more details when the time is right." Take‑Two Interactive has named Giles Derrington as Director of Global Affairs for the UK. Derrington previously led Public Affairs for TikTok in the United Kingdom, where he oversaw regulatory and policy engagement. At Kepler Interactive, Jess Pearce earned a promotion to Senior People Partner.
Pearce first joined Kepler in 2022 as a People Advisor and moved into the People Partner role in 2024, supporting the company’s talent strategy. PlaySimple Games promoted Shreya Godha to Producer. Godha had been an Associate Producer with the studio before earning the new title. Epic Games announced the appointment of Kelly Ekins as Director of Communications.
Ekins comes from Unity, where she served as Senior Director of Global PR for the Games and Made with Unity program. Her Unity tenure began in 2018 as Marketing Lead for Media & Entertainment after a stint at Warner Brothers Games Montreal, where she was Studio Lead for Game Marketing and Communications.
Ilari Kuittinen, co‑founder and Managing Director of Housemarque, stepped down after an impressive 31‑year tenure. Kuittinen co‑established Housemarque in 1995 alongside Harri Tikkanen, merging their previous studios Bloodhouse and Terramarque. Reflecting on his career, Kuittinen said, "Looking back, I feel immensely fortunate. We were in the right place at the right time during three decades of industry growth, which allowed us to stay fiercely independent for 26 years before joining the PlayStation Studios family." He continued, "We have planned this leadership transition carefully.
On July 1, Sami ‘Haxu’ Hakala officially assumed the Managing Director role, and I have continued supporting him and the leadership team to ensure smooth operational continuity. Housemarque’s strategy and creative vision are in excellent hands." Tamara Feiman has been appointed CEO of Lion Studios, the publishing arm of Tripledot Studios.
Feiman began her career at Lion in 2020 as EMEA Business Development Lead and later served as Publishing General Manager. "I joined Lion six years ago and have had the privilege of growing alongside the company through its biggest successes, challenges, and transformations," Feiman remarked.
"What makes Lion special is how we collaborate with partner studios. Together we take risks, learn quickly, and turn great ideas into games played by millions. Lion has never been about one person; I’m fortunate to work with an incredible team across publishing, growth, product, engineering, and market intelligence, as well as talented studio partners worldwide." Sega of America welcomed Heather Sangria as Community Manager.
Sangria previously worked as a contract Social Strategist and Community Lead at One More Game and held a digital strategy and community management role at Undead Labs. Activision Blizzard promoted Emily Rose Chen to Senior Product Manager for Call of Duty. Chen began at Activision as a Financial Analyst in 2020, later moving into product management before earning the senior title.
Scot McCarron also received a promotion at Activision Blizzard, advancing to Senior Director of Product Management for Call of Duty. McCarron originally joined the company in 2018 as a Product Marketing Manager for emerging franchises and later served as Director of Product Management on the Call of Duty franchise. These movements illustrate the dynamic nature of talent within the gaming industry, where seasoned veterans and rising stars alike continue to shape the future of interactive entertainment.