September 2023 Gaming Industry Roundup: ESA Appoints Christianna Barnhart as SVP of Government Affairs

The gaming industry has seen a flurry of new appointments and transitions in recent times. To help keep track of these developments, we've compiled the key updates in this roundup. If your company has any new appointments or transitions to share, please send the details to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Recent announcements include My.Games appointing Elena Grigorian as its new CEO, replacing Vladimir Nikolsky. Grigorian, who joined the company in 2019 as chief marketing officer, has expressed her excitement about her new role. The NBA 2K League has also seen a change in leadership, with Brendan Donohue stepping down as president. Donohue, who has been with the league since its inception in 2017, will assist with the transition until October 31. Other notable appointments include Katie R.M. joining Compulsion Games as a community manager, Chris McEntee being named game design director at Studio MDHR, and Jack Attridge taking over as creative director at Supermassive Games. Sumo has announced several new appointments, including Neil Campbell as associate technical director and Kyle Robinson as junior programmer. Karina Lavushkina has joined SuperScale as marketing strategist, while Huuuge Games has made changes to its executive team, with Anton Gauffin shifting to executive chairman and Wojciech Wronowski taking over as CEO. The ESA has hired Christianna Barnhart as its new senior vice president of government affairs, who will oversee the trade association's advocacy on regulatory matters. Guy Blomberg has been named event director of DreamHack festivals, and Johannes Mang has joined Rovio Stockholm as head of studio. Kirstin Whittle has taken over as vice president of business development and strategic partnerships at Pipework Studios, while InnoGames has appointed Christiane Gäb as director of people and culture. Other appointments include Imogen Calypso Mellor joining Yrs Truly as junior campaign manager, Louise Blain taking over as creative lead at Blumhouse Games, and Nick Bruns being named head of quality assurance at Room 8 Group. Formation Games has also expanded its team with several new hires, including Ho-Yee Li as senior producer and Ross Hammond as senior graphic designer. Homa Games has appointed Henry Lowenfels as its president and chief business officer, who will support the firm's organizational performance and expand its strategic partnerships.