leadership team Archives

AppWizard

February 13, 2025

Microsoft Gaming’s franchise exec becomes new studio head for Minecraft dev Mojang

Mojang has appointed Kayleen Walters as its new studio head, effective immediately, succeeding Åsa Bredin, who will remain until the end of February for a smooth transition. Walters, who joined Microsoft in 2018, will also continue as Microsoft Gaming's VP and head of franchise development. She previously worked at Lucasfilm as VP of franchise marketing and planning. Additionally, Amy Stillion, currently overseeing content and studios at Microsoft, will join Mojang's leadership team to lead the people experience team in Redmond, WA. Helen Chiang, VP of the Minecraft franchise, highlighted the importance of the new leadership in addressing marketplace challenges.

AppWizard

December 20, 2024

Moon Beast Productions lands $4.5m in seed funding

Moon Beast Productions has secured million in seed funding, led by 1AM Gaming with participation from 1UP Ventures, The Mini Fund, Overwolf, Versus Ventures, and various angel investors. The funds will be used to develop a new action RPG title. The studio was founded in March 2022 by Peter Hu and Phil Shenk, who were involved in the creation of Diablo 2. Erich Schaefer, another co-creator of Diablo 2, joined as chief creative officer in 2023.

AppWizard

November 8, 2024

Unity hires Jarrod Yahes as its new CFO

Jarrod Yahes has been appointed as the new chief financial officer and senior vice president of Unity, succeeding Luis Visoso, who left the company in August. Yahes previously worked at Shutterstock and Zeta Global. Unity's CEO, Matt Bromberg, expressed enthusiasm about Yahes' appointment, highlighting his operational rigor and growth orientation. Yahes expressed excitement about joining Unity and supporting its mission in the gaming and interactive experiences ecosystem.

AppWizard

October 21, 2024

Keywords acquires Halo co-dev Certain Affinity

Keywords Studios has acquired Certain Affinity, a co-development studio known for its work on gaming franchises like Halo, Call of Duty, Doom, and Hogwarts Legacy. The financial details of the acquisition are undisclosed. This move is intended to strengthen Keywords’ Create division by leveraging Certain Affinity's expertise. Bertrand Bodson, CEO of Keywords Studios, expressed enthusiasm for the acquisition, highlighting the potential for growth and collaboration. Max Hoberman, founder of Certain Affinity, noted the importance of stability during challenging market conditions and the respect Keywords has shown for their team and culture.

AppWizard

October 17, 2024

Google announces big reorg: Gemini app team moves to DeepMind, Assistant now part of Pixel/Android

Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a reorganization involving the Gemini, Assistant, and Search teams to enhance operational efficiency and innovation. The Gemini app team will move from the Knowledge & Information division to the Google DeepMind organization to improve feedback loops and expedite new model rollouts. The Assistant teams focused on devices will be reassigned to the Platforms & Devices division to consolidate AI-powered home initiatives. Prabhakar Raghavan will step down as chief of Google Search to become Chief Technologist, collaborating with Pichai on technical direction. Nick Fox will take over the Knowledge & Information division as Senior Vice President, leveraging his experience to drive innovation.

Tech Optimizer

September 20, 2024

Administrators place UK’s largest decorative surfaces distributor up for sale | TheBusinessDesk.com

International Decorative Surfaces (IDS), the UK’s largest distributor of decorative surfaces, has collapsed into administration and initiated a sale process while making some of its workforce redundant due to a downturn in the property and construction sectors. IDS, established in 2022 through a management buyout from Compagnie de Saint-Gobain, had over 6,000 products and was supported by private equity investor Chiltern Capital. The company’s assets, including half a million square feet of warehousing and a fleet of 85 vehicles, are now managed by administrators from FRP Advisory. At its peak, IDS employed 393 individuals across 12 locations, with 11 sites currently operational. Leadership changes include the departure of CFO Kevin Riddle and managing director John Bagshaw, with Tony Buffin appointed as chair. The last accounts reported 525 staff and revenues exceeding £78.7 million. FRP Advisory's Alastair Massey expressed optimism about the company's strengths and capabilities while inviting potential buyers to discuss acquisition options.

Tech Optimizer

August 29, 2024

pgEdge Raises $10M to Advance Distributed PostgreSQL Platform

pgEdge, a Virginia-based company specializing in distributed database solutions using PostgreSQL, has secured funding in a recent round led by Rally Ventures, with support from Sands Capital Ventures and Grotech Ventures. The funding is intended for operational expansion and enhancement of its distributed Postgres technology. pgEdge is the only provider of a fully distributed PostgreSQL database that is open-source and based on standard PostgreSQL, catering to enterprises needing high availability and low latency. Founded in 2022 by Phillip Merrick and Denis Lussier, pgEdge aims to address the limitations of centralized databases in a distributed software environment. Ben Fried, former CIO of Google, has joined pgEdge's Board of Directors. The company is experiencing growth, evidenced by a strong revenue cycle and onboarding of leading SaaS customers.

Tech Optimizer

August 27, 2024

pgEdge: $10 Million Raised To Advance Distributed PostgreSQL Platform

pgEdge has secured a million investment led by Rally Ventures, with contributions from Sands Capital Ventures and Grotech Ventures, to enhance its distributed PostgreSQL technology. It is the only fully distributed PostgreSQL database that is open-source and based on standard PostgreSQL, featuring multi-master replication technology for reduced latency and high availability. Ben Fried, former CIO of Google, has joined pgEdge's Board of Directors. The company has experienced strong revenue growth and has onboarded notable customers, including the European Parliament, Jobot, Enquire.ai, Qube RT, and Kobold Metals.

Tech Optimizer

August 27, 2024

pgEdge, Inc. Secures $10 Million Investment to Propel Growth and Innovation in Distributed PostgreSQL for High Availability and Low Latency

pgEdge, Inc. has secured a million investment led by Rally Ventures, with contributions from Sands Capital Ventures and Grotech Ventures, to enhance its distributed PostgreSQL technology. The company is the sole provider of a fully distributed PostgreSQL database that is open-source and based on standard PostgreSQL. pgEdge's multi-master replication technology reduces latency and ensures high availability for critical applications. Ben Fried, former Chief Information Officer of Google, has been appointed to pgEdge's Board of Directors. The company has experienced strong revenue growth and has onboarded clients such as the European Parliament and Jobot. pgEdge is headquartered in Northern Virginia and focuses on enabling developers to build distributed database applications.

AppWizard

July 26, 2024

EA and Google vet Nilson joins Xsolla as CFO

Cathleen Nilson has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer of Xsolla, bringing with her extensive experience from top companies such as EA, Samsung, and Google.