Mobile Mavens

Our panel of experts drawn from all sectors of the mobile gaming industry

Featured

Mobile Mavens: Reactions to Take-Two's acquisition of Zynga LARGEST GAMING ACQUISITION Jan 11th, 2022

Mobile Mavens: Reactions to Take-Two's acquisition of Zynga

Industry responds to $12.7 billion acquisition

David Yin CEO Storms

David is currently the CEO of Storms, a gaming startup invested in by Singtel, AIS & SKT, with a focus on game publishing and an instant gaming platform.

David was recently Head of Business Development - Google Play Apps and Games and was responsible for acquiring, driving and building a pipeline of Android apps and games in SEA & Australia. Additionally, David led the Google Play Start-Up program in SEA & ANZ working closely with High Potential Startups and VCs in the region.

David currently advises & mentors Startups in the region through various programs including 500 Startups, Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Singapore Management University, Unilever Foundry SEAA, Antler, Found 8, Landing Pad, Skala & Fishburners Australia. David is also an experienced Angel Investor.

Prior to Google, David was GM of Global Developer Alliances with Vserv and headed developer & publisher partnerships globally, engaging with mobile app developers/publishers and spearheading multiple developer/publisher initiatives. He was part of the Global Senior Leadership Team and reported to the CEO/Co-Founder.

David has spent over 6 years at Nokia, with the last role being that of Head of Ecosystem & Developer Experience (EDX) - Mobile Apps Monetisation. Additionally, David has over 10 years of global and Southeast Asian experience in the telecommunications industry, ranging from strategic to commercial roles at Vodafone, Orange, Sing-Tel Optus and Capgemini.

He is a Australian Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management (UNSW)

Skills/Experience

  • Business Development - Mobile Apps & Games
  • Entrepreneurship/Start Ups
  • Mobile Advertising
  • Go-To-Market/Launch of Internet Services
  • Sales & Strategy
  • Mobile Services / Ecosystems expertise
  • Team management
Dmitri Lipnitsky CEO and Co-founder Gismart
Gökçe Nur Oğuz CEO and co-founder Playable Factory
Michael Hudson CEO KYLN
Oscar Clark Chief Strategy Officer Fundamentally Games

Oscar Clark has been a pioneer in online, mobile, and console social games services since 1998. He is also author of the book, Games As A Service – How Free To Play Design Can Make Better Games.

Roman Garbar Marketing Director Tenjin

Recent articles

Mobile Mavens: Reaction to China's new restrictions on children gaming CHINA SYNDROME Aug 31st, 2021

Mobile Mavens: Reaction to China's new restrictions on children gaming

Only three hours a week

Alex Faust Vice President EMEA Admix

Positive, supportive leader. Advertising, media & digital services expert. Extensive experience in planning and executing growth strategies across regions. Proven ability to build diverse, engaged teams that develop new business, retain & grow existing partnerships, and strengthen relationships with key clients & internal stakeholders.

David Yin CEO Storms

David is currently the CEO of Storms, a gaming startup invested in by Singtel, AIS & SKT, with a focus on game publishing and an instant gaming platform.

David was recently Head of Business Development - Google Play Apps and Games and was responsible for acquiring, driving and building a pipeline of Android apps and games in SEA & Australia. Additionally, David led the Google Play Start-Up program in SEA & ANZ working closely with High Potential Startups and VCs in the region.

David currently advises & mentors Startups in the region through various programs including 500 Startups, Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Singapore Management University, Unilever Foundry SEAA, Antler, Found 8, Landing Pad, Skala & Fishburners Australia. David is also an experienced Angel Investor.

Prior to Google, David was GM of Global Developer Alliances with Vserv and headed developer & publisher partnerships globally, engaging with mobile app developers/publishers and spearheading multiple developer/publisher initiatives. He was part of the Global Senior Leadership Team and reported to the CEO/Co-Founder.

David has spent over 6 years at Nokia, with the last role being that of Head of Ecosystem & Developer Experience (EDX) - Mobile Apps Monetisation. Additionally, David has over 10 years of global and Southeast Asian experience in the telecommunications industry, ranging from strategic to commercial roles at Vodafone, Orange, Sing-Tel Optus and Capgemini.

He is a Australian Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management (UNSW)

Skills/Experience

  • Business Development - Mobile Apps & Games
  • Entrepreneurship/Start Ups
  • Mobile Advertising
  • Go-To-Market/Launch of Internet Services
  • Sales & Strategy
  • Mobile Services / Ecosystems expertise
  • Team management
Desmond Wong CEO The Gentlebros

Desmond Wong is the CEO, artist and designer and The Gentlebros. 

Jamie Wotton Creative Marketing Manager Exient

Working on The Next Great American Novel as a British citizen takes time, so it’s a good thing that effective storytelling is integral to being a creative and content marketing specialist; whether working as strategic project manager and data-driven marketer or on the flipside, as a content generator and scrappy-yet-eternally-lovable brand champion.

As a hands-on Digital Marketer, I have experience throughout the marketing mix, working closely with stakeholders and directors to direct and fulfill marketing campaigns to audiences worldwide across both b2b and b2c channel; including product launches, user acquisition, press relations, brand positioning, growth tracking, creative design, market research, re-engagement sprints, web and social management and event management.

Michael Hudson CEO KYLN
Michael Silberberg Vice President of Global Partnerships Admix

A dynamic leader in partnership, commercialization, incentives and sales leadership, enterprise technology, and start up incubation. In addition to his more than a decade at Google where he leads Google's largest relationship globally, he has played a pivotal role in the launch of 3 startups, is on the advisory board of two hardware companies, and is a Board member of the Chosen Family Law Center.

Over the course of his career he has found a new use for an existing technology that has lead to 9 figures in increment revenue, launched a nutraceutical brand, lead competitive reviews and strategy leading to a major market share shift, negotiated and executed more than 400 partnership contracts all around the world, lead a close team of strong ICs as well as a global virtual team in the hundreds, and kept his calm while doing it.

Mikael Leinonen CEO MyGamez

Mikael is native of Finland and has been working and doing business in China since 2004. He started his China career with Finpro, Finland Trade Center, assisting Finnish ICT companies in China market. In 2008 he founded his first company, Posse Ltd, which has since provided numerous leading European handset and mobile VAS related companies with market entry, business development, and sales representative services.

Tony Pearce Co-founder Reality+

I’ve worked in the technology sector forever! Starting back in the early days of video gaming, then mobile apps and more recently co-founding Reality Gaming Group which creates games that utilise blockchain technology. These games allow players to actually own the in-game items they buy, you can trade or sell them to friends or use them in other games. This is only possible due to the blockchain and will be a 'game-changer' for players and game developers creating a new $100bn 'collectibles' market.

I am an entrepreneur and investor and have been involved in many start ups. I have been raised over $15m in VC funding, launched two (over subscribed) crowdfunding campaigns and closed a successful ICO (Initial Coin Offering). I co-founded Reality Gaming Group in 2017, and continue to run TeePee Games, which launched the award-winning social network for gamers called GamesGRABR. The company now offers a complete SaaS business allowing brands, retailers and publishers the ability to launch their own social networks, connecting them directly to their customers.

Previously I co-founded Player X a mobile games publisher and distributor which I successfully sold to Spanish mobile content company Zed in 2009.

Prior to Player X I joined Digital Bridges (now I-Play) and was instrumental in launching mobile phone games into the operators and carriers around the world - way before App stores were even invented!

In 2009 I co-founded an executive networking event called the Centurions which is aimed at the digital entertainment industry and we now hold events all over the world, past events have been in London, Istanbul, Munich and New York with new events planned for Singapore and Australia.

Trev Keane Co-founder & Head of Esports Epic Global

Masters educated, marketing, communication and esports business professional with 21 years’ experience of account management, business development, esports, gaming and marketing. Proactive leader. Occasional lecturer on digital trends and use of data with UCD, Carlow IT & UL. Start-up mentor and advisor & judge for Stadia Ventures (US venture fund for sports tech). Board member: Ireland esports, One Zero and Northern Ireland Sport Forum. Twice published author, Gaffers (2010) and Running through Walls (2012)

Indie Mavens: What trends and events will shape the mobile industry in 2021? MYSTIC MAVENS Jan 20th, 2021

Indie Mavens: What trends and events will shape the mobile industry in 2021?

"IDFA depreciation has the potential to completely alter the free-to-play market"

Cabin Yim Chief Marketing Officer FairPlay Studios
Desmond Wong CEO The Gentlebros

Desmond Wong is the CEO, artist and designer and The Gentlebros. 

Gregory Feuz Head of Live Ops Behaviour Interactive
Karah Sutton Chief Publishing Officer PikPok
Matt Purchase Developer Anchorite

Matt Purchase is the solo developer at Anchorite Games 

Rich Siegel Founder and Lead Game Designer Cleaversoft
Indie Mavens: How will Apple's App Store Small Business Program impact developers? CHANGING TIMES Dec 9th, 2020

Indie Mavens: How will Apple's App Store Small Business Program impact developers?

"Let’s be frank: neither Apple nor Valve provide enough of a service to deserve a 30 per cent cut.

Chase Bethea Composer and Sound Designer
Desmond Wong CEO The Gentlebros

Desmond Wong is the CEO, artist and designer and The Gentlebros. 

Jennifer Schneidereit Game creator and co-founder Nyamyam

Jennifer Schneidereit is the co-founder and game creator of British-based indie studio Nyamyam. 

Matt Purchase Developer Anchorite

Matt Purchase is the solo developer at Anchorite Games 

Matthew Annal MD Nitrome
Rich Siegel Founder and Lead Game Designer Cleaversoft
Ryan Cash CEO Snowman
Simon Joslin Creative Director The Voxel Agents
Theresa Duringer CEO Temple Gates Games

Theresa Duringer is the CEO of mobile board game developer Temple Gate Games. Previously, Duringer co-founded Turtle Sandbox Games. 

Indie Mavens: Is there an overall benefit to going completely remote work or does a company still need an office? REMOTE VS OFFICE Oct 28th, 2020

Indie Mavens: Is there an overall benefit to going completely remote work or does a company still need an office?

"Life is short, and the distractions are piling up. At what point do you need to majorly change your lifestyle to fit with an internet-enabled world?"

Andrea Roberts Co-Founder, Games Designer and Artist Wonderbelly Games
Ben Murch Co-Founder Perchang
Cabin Yim Chief Marketing Officer FairPlay Studios
Chase Bethea Composer and Sound Designer
Dan Anahory Co-founder and Head of Business Development Real Media Now Ltd
Dan Vader Game Director Capybara Games

Dan Vader is the game director at Capybara Games and was the lead on Apple Arcade exclusive Grindstone. 

Desmond Wong CEO The Gentlebros

Desmond Wong is the CEO, artist and designer and The Gentlebros. 

Marie-Eve Boisvert Vice-President of Communcations Behaviour Interactive
Matt Purchase Developer Anchorite

Matt Purchase is the solo developer at Anchorite Games 

Matthew Annal MD Nitrome
Rich Siegel Founder and Lead Game Designer Cleaversoft
Theresa Duringer CEO Temple Gates Games

Theresa Duringer is the CEO of mobile board game developer Temple Gate Games. Previously, Duringer co-founded Turtle Sandbox Games. 

Zoe Hobson CEO and Managing Director Runaway
What do UK mobile game developers think of Brexit? SEE EU LATER Jan 31st, 2020

What do UK mobile game developers think of Brexit?

Post-referendum discussion from the UK mobile games industry

Andrew Wafer CEO Pixel Toys

Andy has 14 years of wonderful games publishing and development experiences. Before co-founding Pixel Toys he'd already notched up credits on more than 30 games, and most recently released the zombie splattering GunFinger for mobile and tablet which received over a million downloads in its first month. Andy started at life Codemasters and held Chief Game Designer and Global Brand Manager positions there, he also did some time at Activision, as FreeStyle Games as Head of Digital Platforms before leaving to co-found Pixel Toys in 2012.

Ella Romanos Commercial Director Strike Gamelabs
Harry Holmwood CEO Marvelous Europe

A games programmer before joining Sony’s early PlayStation team in 1994, he then founded developer Pure Entertainment, which IPO’d and launched a free-to-play online gaming service way back in 1999.

He was also a director of pioneering motion gaming startup In2Games, which was sold to a US group in 2008.

Along the way, he’s been a corporate VP, troubleshooter, and non-exec to a variety of companies and investors in and around the games sector.

Harry was European CEO of Marvelous AQL, a Japanese developer and publisher of social, mobile and console games, known for console games like No More Heroes and Harvest Moon, but now highly successful in the free-to-play mobile and web space in Japan and Asia.

Harry is CEO of Magicave.

Hugh Binns Co-owner Eight Pixels Square
Jeremie Texier CEO and co-founder Another Place Productions
Nigel Little Owner Distinctive Developments Limited
Oscar Clark Chief Strategy Officer Fundamentally Games

Oscar Clark has been a pioneer in online, mobile, and console social games services since 1998. He is also author of the book, Games As A Service – How Free To Play Design Can Make Better Games.

Paul Farley CEO / Founder Firestoke Games

Since founding Tag Games in 2006 Paul has built the studio from humble beginnings to become one of the most respected and successful mobile and handheld developers in Europe.

He began a long, and some might say, distinguished, games industry career at legendary developer DMA Design, playing a key role in the development of the GTA series

Will Luton Founder/CPO Village Studio Games Village Studio
Monetizer Mavens on what went wrong for Mario Kart Tour FALSE START Oct 9th, 2019

Monetizer Mavens on what went wrong for Mario Kart Tour

Another Nintendo misfire?

Ben Cousins Vice President, Studios FRVR

Ben is a 15-year veteran of the games industry - he's worked as a senior executive, studio head, project lead, creative director and game designer at companies like DeNA, EA, Sony and Lionhead.

He started working on traditional games, but has been focussed on the free-to-play business model since 2006 - an extremely long time by western standards. During that time He's worked on a total of ten separate free-to-play games across five different platforms reaching over 50 million users.

Mikkel Celinder Owner, AppCrimes.com
Rob Dagwell Head of Esports Bidstack
Tim Rachor Creative Director Evil Grog Games GmbH
Monetizer Mavens discuss if Apple Arcade is just for the kids WALLED GARDEN Sep 18th, 2019

Monetizer Mavens discuss if Apple Arcade is just for the kids

How can the subscription service thrive?

Alex Gray Vice President, Solutions Consulting Swrve
Ben Cousins Vice President, Studios FRVR

Ben is a 15-year veteran of the games industry - he's worked as a senior executive, studio head, project lead, creative director and game designer at companies like DeNA, EA, Sony and Lionhead.

He started working on traditional games, but has been focussed on the free-to-play business model since 2006 - an extremely long time by western standards. During that time He's worked on a total of ten separate free-to-play games across five different platforms reaching over 50 million users.

Mark Robinson CEO DeltaDNA

With over 15 years’ data mining experience, Mark co-founded deltaDNA, formerly GamesAnalytics, to unlock big data to drive player understanding, introducing the concept of Player Relationship Management to build better games.

Nicholas Lovell F2P consultant Gamesbrief
Whatever happened to Harry Potter: Wizards Unite? THE OTHER ONE Jul 25th, 2019

Whatever happened to Harry Potter: Wizards Unite?

Monetizer Mavens opine

Alex Gray Vice President, Solutions Consulting Swrve
Ben Cousins Vice President, Studios FRVR

Ben is a 15-year veteran of the games industry - he's worked as a senior executive, studio head, project lead, creative director and game designer at companies like DeNA, EA, Sony and Lionhead.

He started working on traditional games, but has been focussed on the free-to-play business model since 2006 - an extremely long time by western standards. During that time He's worked on a total of ten separate free-to-play games across five different platforms reaching over 50 million users.

Dylan Tredrea Head of Publishing ZeptoLab
Jordan Blackman CEO Bright Black Associates

Jordan Blackman is a lead designer and producer with over ten years of experience designing, producing, and managing hit content for companies like Zynga, Ubisoft, NovaLogic, & Disney.

Over 80 million people have played games that Jordan worked on as either a producer or designer.

Jordan’s credits include Lead Designer on FrontierVille & CastleVille, Senior Producer and Original Concept on CSI: Crime City (Facebook), Producer on Delta Force: Black Hawk Down, and Writer on Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising.

Kenneth Wong Director of Research and Monetization Hothead Games
Mark Robinson CEO DeltaDNA

With over 15 years’ data mining experience, Mark co-founded deltaDNA, formerly GamesAnalytics, to unlock big data to drive player understanding, introducing the concept of Player Relationship Management to build better games.

Mark Sorrell Consultant
Mikkel Celinder Owner, AppCrimes.com
Does Apple and Google's 70/30 revenue share model work for indies? INDIE MAVENS May 31st, 2019

Does Apple and Google's 70/30 revenue share model work for indies?

The Indie Mavens have their say on the platform's revenue share policy

Aaron Fothergill Co-founder Strange Flavour
Nathan Fouts Founder Mommy's Best Games
Stein Helset Founder AntiSocialGames

Stein Ove Helset is the founder of indie studio AntiSocialGames

Tanya X. Short Creative Director Kitfox Games
Could all F2P mobile games benefit from a Battle Pass like Clash of Clans has? MONETIZER MAVENS May 9th, 2019

Could all F2P mobile games benefit from a Battle Pass like Clash of Clans has?

A new technique for all

Ben Cousins Vice President, Studios FRVR

Ben is a 15-year veteran of the games industry - he's worked as a senior executive, studio head, project lead, creative director and game designer at companies like DeNA, EA, Sony and Lionhead.

He started working on traditional games, but has been focussed on the free-to-play business model since 2006 - an extremely long time by western standards. During that time He's worked on a total of ten separate free-to-play games across five different platforms reaching over 50 million users.

Dimitar Draganov Director Product BoomBit Games

A game design and monetization analyst with professional gaming background and degrees in Social Sciences, Economics and Probabilities and Statistics, Dimitar also writes the Freemium Game Designs blog.

Jordan Blackman CEO Bright Black Associates

Jordan Blackman is a lead designer and producer with over ten years of experience designing, producing, and managing hit content for companies like Zynga, Ubisoft, NovaLogic, & Disney.

Over 80 million people have played games that Jordan worked on as either a producer or designer.

Jordan’s credits include Lead Designer on FrontierVille & CastleVille, Senior Producer and Original Concept on CSI: Crime City (Facebook), Producer on Delta Force: Black Hawk Down, and Writer on Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising.

Nicholas Lovell F2P consultant Gamesbrief
Torulf Jernström CEO Tribeflame
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