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].
Sega Europe appoints Irina Kim as chief financial officer
Irina Kim has been appointed CFO of Sega Europe.
Kim joins Sega after serving as CFO and vice president at Product Madness and Pixel United, both subsidiaries of Aristocrat Leisure.
With over twenty years of experience, Kim has held financial leadership roles at several companies, including Unilever.
“I’m excited to be joining Sega Europe at a pivotal moment for the business and to help shape its next phase of development,” said Kim.
“Sega is one of the biggest names in entertainment, with a phenomenal reputation for critically acclaimed experiences from its varied and highly capable studios. I’m looking forward to working with these talented teams.”
Joost Hagesteijn | General manager for Europe, Roblox
Joost Hagesteijn has joined Roblox in a newly created role, “reflecting the region’s growing strategic importance to the company.”
Hagesteijn will lead Roblox’s business operations in the region and oversee the daily execution of its strategy with local teams and partners.
Previously, Hagesteijn was general manager for Northern Europe at Snap Inc. He also advises the boards of AI consultancy Ainigma and digital production agency Capitola.
“I am thrilled to be joining the company at such a pivotal moment to help scale our operations and to ensure that as we grow, we continue to provide a safe, civil, and enriching experience for millions of our players and developers across the continent,” said Hagesteijn.
Bing Gordon joins board of Nex, maker of Nex Playground
Industry veteran Bing Gordon has joined the board of Nex, creator of Nex Playground.
Gordon co-founded Electronic Arts and was its chief creative officer. He also serves on the boards of several companies, including Take-Two Interactive and Amazon.
Nex CEO David Lee announced the news on Substack, stating that Bing will help “improve the success rate of entrepreneurs and support the next generation of CEOs.
“Learning from him is a privilege. It’s one of the most meaningful parts of the journey.”
Kiki Wolfkill leaves Microsoft
Kiki Wolfkill, Head of Xbox Film & TV, has announced her departure from Microsoft.
Wolfkill joined Microsoft in 1998 as director of art, a role she held for nine years. She later became executive producer at 343 Industries and was promoted to head of Halo transmedia and entertainment in 2015.
Wolfkill was also a Microsoft Partner for 13 years, holding roles such as head of Xbox IP expansion and entertainment, executive producer, and director of visual brand.
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.”
Tim Schmitz appointed CEO of Astragon Entertainment and Astragon Development as Julia Pfiffer steps down as co-CEO
Tim Schmitz has been appointed CEO of Astragon Entertainment and Astragon Development as Julia Pfiffer departs as co-CEO.
The decision follows Pfiffer’s plans to “pursue other business interests” and “mutual discussions between parties,” said parent company Everplay.
Pfiffer and Schmitz became co-CEO of Astragon Entertainment in January 2017 and Astrogon Development in May 2025.
“We thank Julia for her valuable contribution to Astragon Entertainment and Astragon Development, her commitment, and her leadership over the past years, and wish her all the best for the future,” said Everplay Group CEO Mikkel Weider.
Pfiffer added: “I am grateful for my time at Astragon and for the collaboration with a great team. I am proud of what we have achieved together and wish the company, and everyone involved, continued success going forward.”
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.
