It can be difficult keeping track of the various comings and goings in the games industry, which is why we compile them in semi-regular round-ups.
If you have new appointments or transitions in your company that belong here, please send the names of appointees, new role and company, and prior role and company to [email protected].
Frederik Hammes | Managing director, Game Events GmbH
Frederik Hammes has been appointed managing director of Game Events GmbH, the organiser of Gamescom. He succeeds Stephan Reichart, who is stepping down to pursue new projects.
Hammes has over two decades of industry experience, including senior roles at Travian Games. Reichart will support Hammes until Gamescom Dev ends in August 2026.
“This year, Gamescom Dev is launching in a new format, featuring a fresh name and an even closer integration with Gamescom, the world’s largest gaming event,” said Hammes.
“Following strong growth in recent years, the time is right to take the conference to the next level and further elevate its international profile. At a time when developer conferences worldwide are undergoing significant transformation, this presents a unique opportunity to set new standards through clear focus and renewed momentum. I very much look forward to shaping this next phase together with the team.”
Game managing director Felix Falk added: “Stephan Reichart is a distinguished veteran of the German games industry whose passion and commitment have left a lasting mark. Over several decades, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the conference landscape, first through his own event companies and later as managing director of Game Events GmbH.
“Under his leadership, Gamescom Dev has evolved into a premier event for game developers. His extensive network, keen sense for innovative formats, and personal dedication have been instrumental in establishing game events GmbH in its current position. On behalf of the association, I would like to express our sincere thanks for his outstanding contributions.”
Smith Dela Pena | Performance marketing lead (Angry Birds Dream Blast), Rovio
Rovio has appointed Smith Dela Pena as performance marketing lead on Angry Birds Dream Blast.
In this role, Dela Pena will oversee acquisition strategy, manage budgets, and coordinate cross-channel execution, aligning user acquisition with product and monetisation efforts.
Before joining Rovio, Dela Pena was head of user acquisition at Mega Studio and held similar roles at Gameloft, Funstage, and Playlab Games.
Yolanda Zhang | Senior product manager (Diablo Immortal), Blizzard Entertainment
Yolanda Zhang is now senior product manager for Diablo Immortal at Blizzard Entertainment.
“I am extremely fortunate to have gone from one dream company to another, and although the past year was a challenge in itself, I am super grateful to everyone who supported, guided and rooted for me. I am one very lucky person,” said Zhang.
Previously, she was senior product manager at Scopely for over three years and held senior positions at Kongregate, Monarc Game Labs, and NHN Entertainment.
CodeDev appoints Andy Norman as COO
Unreal Engine co-development studio CodeDev has appointed Andy Norman as COO.
Previously, Norman served as studio leader in the Keywords Create Division. He joins recent hires at CodeDev, including technical director Steve Bedford and design director Liam McDonald.
Norman and CodeDev chair Rik Alexander previously led The Multiplayer Group (MPG). Alexander founded MPG and managed its sale to Improbable in 2019. Norman later became CEO and oversaw the £76.5 million acquisition by Keywords Studios in 2023.
“This is the third time I’ve worked with Rik Alexander, and good things always happen,” said Norman. “CEO Myke Parrott is equally as driven and committed.”
“Experience has shown me that growth is an output of what you put in: the culture and working practices. If you start off with a goal of hitting a particular margin or revenue, then that dictates a lot about the business and how the relationships with partners operate.
“We will instead put those partners first: understand and be invested in success, as they see it. I’m talking about staff as well as customers. We will aim to get those relationships right. And that will produce long-term success.”
CEO Myke Parrott added: “Rik and Andy have a history of building industry titans. With our reputation for solving the hardest problems in Unreal Engine, demand has reached a point where we need elite operational leadership to manage our trajectory.
“Andy is a master of nurturing culture at scale, so he is the perfect fit to help us grow.”
Tom Goldberger | Vice president of gaming, DDA
Tom Goldberger has joined creative communications agency DDA as vice president of gaming.
“On the games side, the team and I will be specialising in consumer communications for all aspects of gaming (console and PC), mobile, and gaming hardware,” Goldberger said about his new role.
“Our expertise spans both local and global campaign strategy, specialist and mainstream press targeting, launch creative ideations, and much more.”
Before joining DDA, Goldberger was senior public relations manager at Square Enix in the UK, where he led over 70 launches in five years.
He also held senior PR roles at Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Premier PR, Red Bull Racing, and Athlon Games.
