Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures across the gaming sector can be a real challenge. That’s why we put together periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel moves.
If you know of any recent appointments or transitions that belong in this list, please email the names, new titles, and both the current and previous employers to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Amir Satvat has taken on the role of General Partner at 1Up Ventures. Before this, he was the Business Development Director at Tencent Games, where he helped shape the company’s strategic partnerships and growth initiatives. Satvat also founded and runs Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), an organization dedicated to helping professionals locate new opportunities within the industry.
"I wanted a position where I could see a direct link between my actions and the impact on a team, and where I could help get people back to work," Satvat explained. "I’ve always dreamed of turning more developers’ visions into reality, and I felt that working with smaller studios—games I’m personally passionate about—would let me do that. I also wanted to be part of a community‑first environment." He continued, "My final goal was to collaborate with colleagues who share the same values and integrity I hold myself to.
Accepting 1Up’s invitation checks all those boxes for me." Satvat added, "1Up plays a crucial role in the broader games ecosystem, and I’m eager to help preserve its unique investment approach for as long as possible." Lasse Seppänen announced that he will leave Supercell after a seven‑year tenure. He joined the Finnish powerhouse in 2019 as a producer and later served in senior capacities, including Head of Game Production Services and General Manager of Supercell London. "Now it’s time to return to my passion for creating new IPs," Seppänen said.
"I’ll stay in the UK, and in 2027 I plan to launch my own studio again – I’ll share more details when the moment 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 managed government relations and regulatory strategy.
Jess Pearce earned a promotion to Senior People Partner at Kepler Interactive. Pearce entered Kepler in 2022 as a People Advisor and moved up to People Partner in 2024, overseeing talent acquisition and employee development.
Shreya Godha has been elevated to Producer at PlaySimple Games after serving as an Associate Producer with the developer. Epic Games appointed Kelly Ekins as Director of Communications.
Ekins comes from Unity, where she was Senior Director of Global PR for the Games and Made with Unity program. She originally joined Unity in 2018 as Marketing Lead for Media and Entertainment after a stint at Warner Bros. Games Montreal as Studio Lead for Game Marketing and Communications.
Ilari Kuittinen, co‑founder and Managing Director of Housemarque, is stepping down after 31 years. Kuittinen helped launch the studio in 1995 alongside Harri Tikkanen when they merged their respective companies, Bloodhouse and Terramarque. "Looking back, I feel incredibly fortunate," Kuittinen reflected. "We were in the right place at the right time for three decades of explosive industry growth, which allowed us to stay fiercely independent for 26 years before joining the PlayStation Studios family." "We have carefully planned this leadership transition behind the scenes.
On July 1, Sami ‘Haxu’ Hakala officially assumed the Managing Director role, and I have continued to support him and the leadership team to ensure a smooth handover and operational stability. 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 the EMEA Business Development Lead and later became Publishing General Manager. "I joined Lion six years ago," Feiman said. "Since then I’ve had the privilege of growing alongside the company through its biggest successes, challenges, and transformations. What makes Lion special is the way we collaborate with our partner studios.
Together we take risks, learn quickly, and turn great ideas into games enjoyed by millions." "Lion has never been about a single person. I’m fortunate to work with an outstanding team across publishing, growth, product, engineering, and market intelligence, as well as our talented studio partners worldwide." Heather Sangria has joined Sega of America 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 Manager role at Undead Labs. Emily Rose Chen has been promoted to Senior Product Manager for Call of Duty at Activision Blizzard.
Chen started at the company in 2020 as a Financial Analyst, later moving into product management before this promotion. Scot McCarron has advanced to Senior Director of Product Management for Call of Duty at Activision Blizzard.
McCarron originally joined Activision in 2018 as Product Marketing Manager for emerging franchises and later served as Director of Product Management on the Call of Duty franchise. These moves illustrate the dynamic nature of talent flow within the gaming industry, highlighting both the emergence of new leadership and the evolution of established teams. The continued reshuffling of expertise underscores how studios and publishers alike are adapting to shifting market demands, technological advances, and the ever‑growing appetite for innovative gaming experiences.