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Changes at ISM, IGDA, THQ, ELSPA & More
Auteur : David Radd
Du : 08/05/2006
It was a busy week for Industry Movers. ISM hired a senior agent; IGDA elected three board members; EA's VP of northern Europe has been appointed head of ELSPA; MumboJumbo appointed a president; Playlogic hired a PR Manager; Konami hired a Key Account Manager of Mobile Business; and THQ appointed a Senior VP of Business Development. Get all the details...
Interactive Studio Management - Francois Masciopinto
This past week, Interactive Studio Management (ISM) announced that Francois Masciopinto has joined as a senior agent. In this new position he will spearhead ISM's European efforts. He will also help ISM clients secure development jobs in the U.S. and other parts of the world out of an office in New York City.
"Francois's global experience and deep understanding of the video game industry makes him uniquely qualified to help lead ISM's clients to financial and creative success," said Clyde Grossman, senior partner and co-founder of ISM. "As one of the top interactive entertainment executives, he has earned the respect of industry developers and publishers around the world."
Masciopinto's experience includes CANAL +, where he led the multimedia division of the television and broadcast industry company out of Paris. In his last position before joining ISM he was Director of A & R and Business Development at Atari. There, the multilingual Masciopinto helped Atari build relationships with several notable developers around the world. He also was responsible for managing new business development activities, including assessing indie game developers worldwide and strategic analysis of the interactive market.
IGDA - Michael Capps, Christopher Crowell, Clarinda Merripen
International Game Developers Association (IGDA) this week elected three new members of the Board of Directors, starting June 1. They are Michael Capps, Christopher Crowell, and Clarinda Merripen. They will serve a three-year term on the board, where they will help the IGDA represent the gaming development community.
"The recent media attention on quality of life means that new people are listening to that dialogue, and we've got to take advantage. We're in the middle of a console-cycle transition, and the spiraling costs of next-generation development are the perfect forcing function for improved hiring and development practices," said Michael Capps, who is president of Epic. "Like most non-profits, the IGDA's mission and responsibilities greatly outweigh the budget. Thus, we must empower our volunteers to accomplish our shared goals, and then guide them towards ever greater success."
"I have been involved with the IGDA as a member of the Quality of Life committee and am an active member of the Montreal chapter," said Christopher Crowell, Creative Director for Ubisoft Montreal. "For most of my career in games I have been involved in corporate committee's on topics similar to those that engage the IGDA. Now I want to be more involved with the global evolution of our industry. I think that we are finding ourselves in new territory for every aspect of game development. The IGDA is helpful in fostering communication that continues to improve our game technology and skills to make better games. But workplace issues such as corporate consolidation, team size, management practices and overtime have increasing impacts on our lives. This intersection of creative developer and corporate cultures is where the IGDA can also be useful. The IGDA provides a collective developer voice on the issues affecting us.
"As an international organization, I will also fight to keep the 'I' in IGDA and ensure that the entire universe of Game Developers is represented," said Clarinda Merripen, General Manager for Casual Games at TikGames. "I have had the great pleasure of working with some of the best developers in the world. Many of you have had to work in adverse conditions without the support you need to be successful. I would like to help find ways to improve your quality of life and provide ways of enhancing your opportunities to contribute to the industry."
MumboJumbo - Paul Jensen
Recently, MumboJumbo announced that Paul Jensen had been appointed the company's president. He will direct the growth of the casual developer and publisher and help push the company's products over multiple platforms.
"Paul brings a wealth of experience in consumer entertainment and casual gaming," commented Mark Cottam, CEO of MumboJumbo. "His background and expertise will bring synergy and focus as the company further expands its operations into the digital space. We are delighted to have Paul join the team and look forward to his involvement in the company's growth."
Jensen has experience in sales, marketing, brand management and business development for consumer goods and e-commerce companies. He's held a variety of online game-related positions including Business Manager of Online Games for Microsoft and Vice President of Online Games at Sony Pictures. His last position was president of SkillJam where he help the company grow until the recent acquisition by Liberty Media.
"MumboJumbo has experienced phenomenal growth in the last year," said Jensen. "The casual games market is exploding and it's a very exciting time to be involved with such a fast moving company. MumboJumbo is positioned to be a dominant player in this category."
ELSPA - Paul Jackson
Yesterday, the ELSPA announced that Paul Jackson has been appointed to its head position. The Electronic Arts vice president of northern Europe will assume the position on August 1, after the current ELSPA director general Roger Bennett retires in July.
"Paul is one of the most well respected leaders in the European games business as well as being a man of true integrity," said Andy Payne, chairman of the ELSPA board. "He understands what the membership wants, has worked closely with government and other key parties, and is the right man to lead a new era in ELSPA's development and direction. The executive and the board are all looking forward to working with him."
Paul Jackson has been a member of the ELSPA's board for 12 years, including 3 years as chairman. He will formally leave EA to lead the organization. Michael Rawlinson, current deputy director general, will become managing director to deal with the day-to-day affairs of the ELSPA.
"Roger leaves ELSPA with a strong history of leadership and driving recognition for our industry," commented Paul Jackson. "I am honored to continue the charge and am very exited at the opportunity to devote my experience to growing our industry voice and advocating for the needs of our members."
"I'm pleased for Paul and wish him well in his new role," said Gerhard Florin, Executive Vice President and General Manager International Publishing at EA. "He will be instrumental in helping our industry further its goals in the UK, and we and our fellow publishers in that market are fortunate to have a trade leader of such experience and strength."
Playlogic - Jean-Paul Hardy
In Amsterdam yesterday Jean-Paul Hardy was named PR Manager of Playlogic. He will help the digital entertainment publisher by managing all international Games PR related efforts. Hardy will work closely with the PR agencies IMC in Europe and Kohnke in the U.S. and report directly to Playlogic Chief Sales & Marketing Officer/VP Stefan Layer.
"Jean-Paul is a journalist as well as an experienced, passionate gamer and we are really looking forward to working with him," said Layer. "His presence is particularly important to build up relationships with the international games press, especially with the impressive line-up we have for the third and fourth quarter coming up this year."
Hardy, educated in journalism, helped edit Stemming van Nederland. Later he worked for Internet portal quotenet.nl then the Dutch broadcasting company RTV Utrecht.
Konami Digital Entertainment - Michael Patzke
Konami Digital Entertainment yesterday announced a "reshuffle" as a result of "continued growth of its Mobile Business division." Michael Patzke is joining the company as Key Account Manager of Mobile Business. He will manage all sales and cross-marketing activities for the division in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal from Konami Digital Entertainment's European HQ. He will report to Florian Stronk the Manager and Head of Mobile Business Department for Konami Digital Entertainment in Europe.
"Michael has unrivalled experience in the mobile market and his regional expertise will also make him a tremendous asset to the team and vital to the plans we are making," commented Stronk. "I am certain he will be a great addition to the team in these exciting times."
THQ - Gary Rosenfeld
THQ this week announced that Gary Rosenfeld had been appointed Senior Vice President of Business Development. He will be responsible for the prioritizing, negotiating and managing of THQ's licensing and development partners in this new position.
"Gary has a proven track record of managing relationships for organizations focused on licensing a wide range of high-profile entertainment properties in addition to core competencies on the business side of videogame development and production," said Kelly Flock, executive vice president of worldwide publishing. "I am confident that Gary will play a pivotal role in furthering our growth and success, drawing upon his deep experience across virtually every entertainment medium."
Rosenfeld was vice president pf development and business affairs at Playmates Interactive Entertainment. While there, he supervised the production and management of externally produced PlayStation and PC games. Rosenfeld has over a dozen years experience managing and negotiating licensing agreements in the video game and motion picture industries, most recently at The Endeavor Agency. He licensed properties into the major studios and he negotiated agreements for writers, directors and actors while at Endeavor.
"I've been tracking THQ's progress for the past few years and have been very impressed with the company's ability to consistently deliver great products to a broad group of gamers," Rosenfeld said. "I'm excited to have this opportunity to further elevate THQ's position in the interactive entertainment space by maintaining and growing the relationships we already have, while also uncovering new and exciting partnerships."
Interactive Studio Management - Francois Masciopinto
This past week, Interactive Studio Management (ISM) announced that Francois Masciopinto has joined as a senior agent. In this new position he will spearhead ISM's European efforts. He will also help ISM clients secure development jobs in the U.S. and other parts of the world out of an office in New York City.
"Francois's global experience and deep understanding of the video game industry makes him uniquely qualified to help lead ISM's clients to financial and creative success," said Clyde Grossman, senior partner and co-founder of ISM. "As one of the top interactive entertainment executives, he has earned the respect of industry developers and publishers around the world."
Masciopinto's experience includes CANAL +, where he led the multimedia division of the television and broadcast industry company out of Paris. In his last position before joining ISM he was Director of A & R and Business Development at Atari. There, the multilingual Masciopinto helped Atari build relationships with several notable developers around the world. He also was responsible for managing new business development activities, including assessing indie game developers worldwide and strategic analysis of the interactive market.
IGDA - Michael Capps, Christopher Crowell, Clarinda Merripen
International Game Developers Association (IGDA) this week elected three new members of the Board of Directors, starting June 1. They are Michael Capps, Christopher Crowell, and Clarinda Merripen. They will serve a three-year term on the board, where they will help the IGDA represent the gaming development community.
"The recent media attention on quality of life means that new people are listening to that dialogue, and we've got to take advantage. We're in the middle of a console-cycle transition, and the spiraling costs of next-generation development are the perfect forcing function for improved hiring and development practices," said Michael Capps, who is president of Epic. "Like most non-profits, the IGDA's mission and responsibilities greatly outweigh the budget. Thus, we must empower our volunteers to accomplish our shared goals, and then guide them towards ever greater success."
"I have been involved with the IGDA as a member of the Quality of Life committee and am an active member of the Montreal chapter," said Christopher Crowell, Creative Director for Ubisoft Montreal. "For most of my career in games I have been involved in corporate committee's on topics similar to those that engage the IGDA. Now I want to be more involved with the global evolution of our industry. I think that we are finding ourselves in new territory for every aspect of game development. The IGDA is helpful in fostering communication that continues to improve our game technology and skills to make better games. But workplace issues such as corporate consolidation, team size, management practices and overtime have increasing impacts on our lives. This intersection of creative developer and corporate cultures is where the IGDA can also be useful. The IGDA provides a collective developer voice on the issues affecting us.
"As an international organization, I will also fight to keep the 'I' in IGDA and ensure that the entire universe of Game Developers is represented," said Clarinda Merripen, General Manager for Casual Games at TikGames. "I have had the great pleasure of working with some of the best developers in the world. Many of you have had to work in adverse conditions without the support you need to be successful. I would like to help find ways to improve your quality of life and provide ways of enhancing your opportunities to contribute to the industry."
MumboJumbo - Paul Jensen
Recently, MumboJumbo announced that Paul Jensen had been appointed the company's president. He will direct the growth of the casual developer and publisher and help push the company's products over multiple platforms.
"Paul brings a wealth of experience in consumer entertainment and casual gaming," commented Mark Cottam, CEO of MumboJumbo. "His background and expertise will bring synergy and focus as the company further expands its operations into the digital space. We are delighted to have Paul join the team and look forward to his involvement in the company's growth."
Jensen has experience in sales, marketing, brand management and business development for consumer goods and e-commerce companies. He's held a variety of online game-related positions including Business Manager of Online Games for Microsoft and Vice President of Online Games at Sony Pictures. His last position was president of SkillJam where he help the company grow until the recent acquisition by Liberty Media.
"MumboJumbo has experienced phenomenal growth in the last year," said Jensen. "The casual games market is exploding and it's a very exciting time to be involved with such a fast moving company. MumboJumbo is positioned to be a dominant player in this category."
ELSPA - Paul Jackson
Yesterday, the ELSPA announced that Paul Jackson has been appointed to its head position. The Electronic Arts vice president of northern Europe will assume the position on August 1, after the current ELSPA director general Roger Bennett retires in July.
"Paul is one of the most well respected leaders in the European games business as well as being a man of true integrity," said Andy Payne, chairman of the ELSPA board. "He understands what the membership wants, has worked closely with government and other key parties, and is the right man to lead a new era in ELSPA's development and direction. The executive and the board are all looking forward to working with him."
Paul Jackson has been a member of the ELSPA's board for 12 years, including 3 years as chairman. He will formally leave EA to lead the organization. Michael Rawlinson, current deputy director general, will become managing director to deal with the day-to-day affairs of the ELSPA.
"Roger leaves ELSPA with a strong history of leadership and driving recognition for our industry," commented Paul Jackson. "I am honored to continue the charge and am very exited at the opportunity to devote my experience to growing our industry voice and advocating for the needs of our members."
"I'm pleased for Paul and wish him well in his new role," said Gerhard Florin, Executive Vice President and General Manager International Publishing at EA. "He will be instrumental in helping our industry further its goals in the UK, and we and our fellow publishers in that market are fortunate to have a trade leader of such experience and strength."
Playlogic - Jean-Paul Hardy
In Amsterdam yesterday Jean-Paul Hardy was named PR Manager of Playlogic. He will help the digital entertainment publisher by managing all international Games PR related efforts. Hardy will work closely with the PR agencies IMC in Europe and Kohnke in the U.S. and report directly to Playlogic Chief Sales & Marketing Officer/VP Stefan Layer.
"Jean-Paul is a journalist as well as an experienced, passionate gamer and we are really looking forward to working with him," said Layer. "His presence is particularly important to build up relationships with the international games press, especially with the impressive line-up we have for the third and fourth quarter coming up this year."
Hardy, educated in journalism, helped edit Stemming van Nederland. Later he worked for Internet portal quotenet.nl then the Dutch broadcasting company RTV Utrecht.
Konami Digital Entertainment - Michael Patzke
Konami Digital Entertainment yesterday announced a "reshuffle" as a result of "continued growth of its Mobile Business division." Michael Patzke is joining the company as Key Account Manager of Mobile Business. He will manage all sales and cross-marketing activities for the division in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal from Konami Digital Entertainment's European HQ. He will report to Florian Stronk the Manager and Head of Mobile Business Department for Konami Digital Entertainment in Europe.
"Michael has unrivalled experience in the mobile market and his regional expertise will also make him a tremendous asset to the team and vital to the plans we are making," commented Stronk. "I am certain he will be a great addition to the team in these exciting times."
THQ - Gary Rosenfeld
THQ this week announced that Gary Rosenfeld had been appointed Senior Vice President of Business Development. He will be responsible for the prioritizing, negotiating and managing of THQ's licensing and development partners in this new position.
"Gary has a proven track record of managing relationships for organizations focused on licensing a wide range of high-profile entertainment properties in addition to core competencies on the business side of videogame development and production," said Kelly Flock, executive vice president of worldwide publishing. "I am confident that Gary will play a pivotal role in furthering our growth and success, drawing upon his deep experience across virtually every entertainment medium."
Rosenfeld was vice president pf development and business affairs at Playmates Interactive Entertainment. While there, he supervised the production and management of externally produced PlayStation and PC games. Rosenfeld has over a dozen years experience managing and negotiating licensing agreements in the video game and motion picture industries, most recently at The Endeavor Agency. He licensed properties into the major studios and he negotiated agreements for writers, directors and actors while at Endeavor.
"I've been tracking THQ's progress for the past few years and have been very impressed with the company's ability to consistently deliver great products to a broad group of gamers," Rosenfeld said. "I'm excited to have this opportunity to further elevate THQ's position in the interactive entertainment space by maintaining and growing the relationships we already have, while also uncovering new and exciting partnerships."