June 2025’s Movers and Shakers: Unity CTO exits, Embracer appoints new CEO, Roblox gets a CFO, and more

To keep you up to date with the latest movers and shakers in the mobile games industry, we've put together a regular roundup of the latest hires, promotions and, in some cases, exits.

If you've recently joined a company or bagged a big promotion, or you're an employer that's just made a hire, drop us an email at news@pocketgamer.biz.

Unity CTO exits and Embracer promotes new CEO

Unity CTO Steve Collins has stepped down after six months in the role.

As reported by TechCrunch, the executive is said to be leaving the company for personal reasons.

He had joined the company in November 2024 following four years as the chief technology officer at Candy Crush Saga developer King. Collins was also previously a co-founder and CTO at physics engine outfit Havok.

“We can confirm that Steve Collins has decided to leave Unity for personal reasons,” said a company spokesperson. 

“We’re grateful for his contributions. As we continue our transformation, we’re confident our world-class tech team will keep driving the strategy forward.”

Collins’ departure comes after company-wide restructuring in the wake of the controversial Runtime Fee announcement, which was later rolled back. The move cost former CEO John Riccitiello his job, later replaced on a full-time basis by former Zynga exec Matthew Bromberg.

The company’s restructure, as it looks to gain profitability after years of losses and big investments, resulted in thousands of layoffs and office closures.

Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors is stepping back from the role of CEO to become executive chair where he can “focus on strategic initiatives" and “M&A”.

The news comes following years of turmoil at the publisher, which has laid off thousands of staff and closed and sold a number of studios. The firm also split off into three separate public entities as a result of its troubles.

In his place as CEO is Phil Rogers, who was previously the publisher’s deputy CEO and headed up the Crystal Dynamics group. Embracer is set to change its name to Fellowship Entertainment as part of the company-wide restructuring.

“With the start of this new phase, I am thankful for the years and lessons learned as CEO of Embracer," said Lars Wingefors. “While the road has not always been straight, I am incredibly proud of the achievements made possible by our talented teams, which have created some incredible experiences for gamers.

“This new phase allows me to focus on strategic initiatives, M&A, and capital allocation, ensuring Embracer's continued growth and success. I am more convinced than ever that the best is still ahead of us. 

“Having worked very closely with Phil over the past years, I have high confidence in his abilities. I look forward to a continued close collaboration to further strengthen the business and drive value in the coming years." 

New Roblox CFO and Games for Change board members

Roblox has appointed Naveen Chopra as its new permanent chief financial officer 10 months after the previous incumbent Michael Guthrie announced he was stepping down.

Chopra has previously worked at the likes of Pandora and Amazon, mostly recently served as CFO for Paramount.

Guthrie is set to officially leave Roblox on June 30th, though will continue to serve as a consultant to help ensure a smooth transition.

“Roblox's innovative platform and vibrant community present a unique opportunity to connect and empower a scaled global audience," said Roblox-appointed CFO Naveen Chopra. 

“I'm thrilled to join a company with such significant cultural impact where innovation, entertainment, and communication work symbiotically to create value for stakeholders, while fostering a safe and civil environment for millions of users. 

“This role represents an exciting opportunity to combine my passion for revolutionary consumer entertainment with my experience in technology and media to drive the next chapter of growth at Roblox."

Nonprofit organisation Games for Change has named five new members to its board of directors. 

The new board members include Tilting Point chairman, CEO and co-founder Samir El Agili and Tencent Americas senior director for global game policy Benjamin Golant.

There's also Tammy Levine, general manager of Xbox marketing at Microsoft, Evan Segal, president of Segal Ventures and The Segal Family Foundation, alongside Mark Stanley, founder of Yelnats Collective. 

Games for Change said the board expansion comes as it broadens its global presence, which includes scaling initiatives like the G4C Student Challenge, the annual G4C Festival in NYC, and the Games & SDG Summit at the UN.

“As communities and organisations worldwide experience change at an unprecedented rate, Games for Change is needed more than ever," said Games for Change president Susanna Pollack. 

She added: “Individually, each of our Board members has worked to empower others through the power of play, not just as entertainment, but for education, entrepreneurship, and global progress. 

“Collectively, the experience of our Board of Directors across marketing, policy, and philanthropy strengthens our ability to forge innovative partnerships and scale our impact in meaningful new ways."

Movers at Small Giant, Playtika, Activision, and more

Small Giant Games chief information officer Petri Hyökyranta has exited the Finnish developer after nearly two years.

Former Steel Media and Pocket Gamer Connects head of content Patty Toledo has been named as a mentor at the Dutch Games Association.

Ex-AppsFlyer people data and analytics team lead Mor Rave has joined Playtika as director of HRIS and people analytics.

Activision has appointed former Associated Press technology writer Sarah Parvini as its new communications lead for its central tech team, where she’ll also support the Call of Duty franchise.

Former Warner Bros. Games VP of growth marketing Gabriel Goldwasser has headed to Ares Interactive as its SVP of performance marketing.

Niantic Spatial has named Tom Glover as its senior director for communications. He was previously senior director for communications in EMEA at Niantic.

Rewards platform Almedia has made a string of new hires at its Berlin office, including Rudresh T as senior QA engineer, Xuege Yang as junior Google Ads manager, Máté Jamrik as finance specialist, Till Konnegen as junior software engineer, and Finn Rubach as venture manager.

Promotions and hires at GGOG, Trailmix, Tapugo, Drake Star, and more

Nihat Baran Menteş has been named as the chairman of the advisory board for GGOG, the young entrepreneurs and game developers association in Turkey.

The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s head of video games and esports Susanna Lazarus is set to move into a new role overseeing creative sectors. Her former role is currently open for applicants.

Small Giant Games animator Hiski Suomela has started a new position at the developer as technical animator.

Ex-Scopely team lead product manager, economy Daniel Gazit is now product director at Trailmix Games.

New mobile startup Tapugo has hired Jacek Kozieja as lead Unity developer and Chiến Phạm as game designer.

Former Big Fish Games senior ad product manager Christopher Lam is now the co-founder of Game Plan.

Drake Star has promoted Mohit Pareek from principal to partner.

New CEOs at Turborilla and nDreams

Kwalee’s former VP of mobile games, John Wright, has made the move to Turborilla, taking on the role of CEO. He has stepped up as founder and now-former CEO Tobias Andersson has stepped back, instead focusing on board member duties.

Wright, leveraging his 15 years of games industry experience and his experience leading hundreds of global staff, will now seek to take Turborilla into its "next chapter".

"I’m genuinely thrilled," Wright told us at PocketGamer.biz.

"The company is fantastic, the team is strong and there’s an impressive legacy behind it. Being able to step into the CEO role while working remotely gives me the balance I need to stay fully present for my kids. It’s the ideal setup to stay deeply motivated, both as a leader and as a parent."

nDreams also has a new CEO, Tomas Gillo, who has spent the better part of a decade at the company, most recently as chief development officer. He is taking over from Patrick O'Luanaigh, set to step down after 19 years with the VR games developer.

O'Luanaigh is planning to keep a "close eye", however, moving into a non-executive chairman role where he will continue to work with nDreams’ executive team and parent company Aonic.

"Tom knows the company and teams better than anyone, and most importantly knows VR and MR game development inside out, and I have no doubt that he’ll do a fantastic job along with the incredible exec team that we have built," O'Luanaigh posted on LinkedIn.

Chief positions at Stash and Outfit7

Archie Stonehill has been promoted to chief growth officer at Stash, responsible for long-term vision and company growth.

Having joined the company in 2023 as head of product, this promotion better reflects his roles in strategy, sales and product, though it doesn’t mean a major change in duties: Stonehill has already been scoping out and prioritising new features and products, and helping to align the whole of Stash with a clear vision of the evolving DTC landscape for games.

"I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Chief Growth Officer at Stash," he posted on LinkedIn.

"This isn't a change of my role, just my title, and better reflect the broad range of activities I spend my time on at Stash. All of what I do across strategy, product, and sales is oriented towards helping Stash, and our customers, grow."

After eight years at Outfit7, Jernej Česen has landed his third promotion and taken on the role of COO. Having joined as VP of data and analytics in June 2017, Česen was appointed general manager in 2019 and senior VP of distribution and BI and finance just three months later.

His latest promotion marks the start of a new position with the same team.

"New adventure and same gang. A new position as COO at Outfit7," he posted on LinkedIn.

New adventures at Nvizzio and Activision

Mariela Tzvetanova has joined Nvizzio Creations as director of business development after 12 years at Imperia Online. The move comes as Nvizzio continues to grow its games portfolio across PC, console and mobile.

Tzvetanova’s role will include focusing on publishing opportunities and forging strategic partnerships and long-term co-development deals.

“Having spent over a decade leading growth, publishing and M&A initiatives across Europe and globally with Imperia Online and Stillfront Group, I am passionate about helping studios reach their next stage of scale," she commented.

"What drew me to Nvizzio is the blend of creative excellence and operational maturity. From day one, I was inspired by the company’s relentless commitment to quality and its ability to deliver ambitious, high-impact titles with some of the most innovative partners in the industry - from Electronic Arts and Hasbro to Atari and Tilting Point."

Since leaving Hothead Games in 2024, Alexander Jancso has been gaining new experiences working closely with small indie game projects, expanding his knowledge on bringing games to life with fewer resources but plenty of creativity.

Now he’s back with a major player, newly hired as product manager of emerging franchises at Activision Blizzard.

"I’ll be leading the development of emerging franchises’ products, shaping the team's business and marketing strategy along the way. It’s an exciting role that brings together everything I’ve been building toward, working on some of my favourite games with a team and scale that inspires me," Jancso posted on LinkedIn.

"I’m humbled by the opportunity and incredibly excited to learn alongside some of the industry’s most talented professionals."

Movers at Roblox, Disney, Modma Games and more

Roblox has appointed Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov as head of parental advocacy, joining from the LEGO Group and bringing experience in advising parents, governments and organisations on online safety.

Alejandro Marin Vidal has been hired by the Walt Disney Company as director of strategy and insights for the Disney Games Group.

Krafton veteran Bryce Baer has taken on a new role at Microsoft as director of marketing for Xbox.

Praveen Dubey is the new CEO and creative director of Modma Games in Barcelona, Spain.

Digital tabletop games maker Infinite Realms has appointed Charlotte Cook as chief commercial officer (fractional).

Chafik Naceri is founder and CEO of Tapugo, a new mobile games studio focusing on puzzle games and hybrids between action and strategy.

Crazy Labs has hired Yarden Peled as senior data analyst. He’ll be moving to Finland to help out with puzzle games like Coffee Mania and Bus Frenzy.

Quvy has a new CEO in Jonathan Zweig, while also maintaining CEO status at Buildbox.ai.

Fidan Rustamli has joined DIGIAGE as regional gaming ecosystem expert. Her role will include strengthening the company’s presence in Azerbaijan by building strategic partnerships and supporting emerging talent.