Jobs Roundup: June 2024 | Xbox marketing officer Jerret West leaves for Roblox

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 the appointees, new role and company, and prior role and company to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.

Xbox marketing officer Jerret West leaves for Roblox

Jerret West, Xbox chief marketing officer since 2019, is leaving his position to become CMO and head of market expansion at Roblox.

West will be leaving for his new role on June 30, Microsoft confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz.

He initially joined Microsoft in 2005 as senior global product manager, before moving up to become director of marketing in 2008.

West then left the industry to work in executive marketing positions at American Express and Netflix before returning to Microsoft.

"On behalf of Team Xbox, I'd like to thank Jerret for everything he has accomplished," Xbox head Phil Spencer said in an internal memo. "During his time here, Jerret was instrumental in launching and growing communities like our Xbox social universe and product expansion like Game Pass."

Spencer added: "Roblox is an important partner for Xbox, and we look forward to working with Jerret and the Roblox team to connect more people around the world through the power of play."

Larry Hryb joins Unity as director of community

Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb has joined Unity as director of community after leaving his position as director of programming at Xbox Live last July.

Hryb announced his new appointment on social media: "Building on my long history as a developer advocate at Xbox, I'm excited to collaborate again with developers, harnessing our collective creativity to shape the future of real-time gaming and experiences."

Hyrb joined Microsoft in 2001, and moved to the Xbox team in 2003. He contributed to the launch of the Xbox One, Xbox 360, Xbox Live and Kinect during his tenure, as well as hosting the official Xbox Podcast.

Marina Mello | Global director for gaming and interactive, BBC Studios

Former Bossa Studios exec Marina Mello has joined the BBC as its first ever global director for gaming and interactive.

PocketGamer.biz reported that the role, which was first advertised in February 2023, will make Mello responsible for the "global gaming and interactive strategy" for some of the BBC's biggest brands such as Doctor Who, BBC Earth and Bluey.

She previously spent more than eight years at UK developer Bossa Studios, where her most recent position was chief commercial officer. She also spent three and a half years handling global business development at TV production and distribution group Shine.

"I'm thrilled to be joining BBC Studios as global director, gaming & interactive," she wrote on LinkedIn. "The BBC is renowned for its outstanding content and unique role in fostering and promoting British creative excellence."

PTW promotes chief revenue officer and chief technology officer

Technical and creative services company PTW has promoted of its vice presidents to C-suite roles to further strength its management.

Harlan Beverly leaves his role as VP of technology to become chief technology officer and will be responsible for leading technical advancements in PTW's services, including its game development solutions. He will also be overseeing the company's efforts with AI.

Meanwhile, Kaley Hurst has been promoted from VP of sales and marketing to chief revenue officer, and will oversee growth for all PTW brands as well as the group's market reach.

Two new hires at Homa

Paris-based mobile developer Homa has added two new hires to its management, both in VP roles.

Former Scopely general manager Dan Adair has joined as vice president and general manager of hybridcasual.

He has over ten years of experience in mobile games, starting with his time at Zynga, where he led the teams behind Zynga Poker and Dawn of Titans.

At Homa, he will be in charge of approving new products within the hybridcasual portfolio and recruiting further expertise to the team.

Also new at Homa is Devin Radford, who takes on the role of VP for business development. He has 18 years experience in biz dev, including eight years at FoxNext, the gaming division for 20th Century Fox and later Disney.

Titles he has helped bring to market include Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff.

He will be in charge of developing and executing strategy partnerships in which Homa supports fellow games developers and other companies.

Starbreeze announces changes in management team

Starbreeze has made two changes to its management team.

André Persson has been appointed chief marketing officer, responsible for the firm's publishing operations and product marketing.

Persson previously held the title of interim vice president of publishing from January 2024 to his recent appointment.

Prior to his time at Starbreeze, Persson held leadership positions at Sharkmob and Bandai Namco Europe in addition to founding his own consultancy firm, Project 369 Group.

Interim vice president of human resources Hanna Falk will be leaving Starbreeze for an external assignment, with her current role concluding on June 30, 2024.

Melissa Bell | Executive vice president of global marketing, Warner Bros

Melissa Bell has been appointed executive vice president of global marketing at Warner Bros Games.

She will report directly to Warner Bros Games president David Hadadd, and will be responsible for global marketing strategy across the Warner Bros Games portfolio.

Prior to this role, Bell was chief marketing officer at 2K for six years, and held leadership roles at Volkswagen Group, Jaguar, Infiniti, and Publicis.

In the announcement of her appointment, Bell said: "I'm thrilled to join the Warner Bros Games team, and I look forward to working together to drive Warner Bros Discovery's franchises to new heights in gaming.

"Collaborating with the talented team at Warner Bros Games is an exhilarating opportunity, as we will continue to craft compelling brand stories and create cultural moments that captivate players worldwide."

Tom O'Connor | Senior vice president of development, CI Games

CI Games has appointed Tom O'Connor as senior vice president of development.

O'Connor will "help coordinate the company's internal and external studios across CI Games and United Label," the Polish studio said.

His most recent role was at Tencent as senior director of production of its Western games studios including Sumo Group and Sharkmob. O'Connor also worked for PlayStation for 15 years, managing a variety of development studios and partners.

"I recognise the current strengths of the company – the strides it's already made to meeting strategic objectives – and have a clear vision on how I can spearhead its production frameworks in order to take CI Games to the next level," said O'Connor.

Jennifer Maas | Senior business writer, TV and video games, Variety

Jennifer Maas has been promoted to senior business writer, TV and video games at Variety.

Maas will lead entertainment news and coverage of the games industry. Her promotion aligns with Variety's recent push to expand its gaming coverage.

Mass joined Variety in 2022 as a TV business writer, having previously held positions at The Washington Post, ABC News, Entertainment Weekly, and The Wrap.

"Jennifer Maas has brought an energy and a focus to Variety's business coverage from the day she signed on," Variety's co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton said of her appointment. "She's more than ready for this well-earned promotion. Gaming of all kinds has grown into a worldwide force and we're eager to expand our coverage of this important market."

Jon Bailes | Games editor, Edge magazine

Jon Bailes has been named games editor of Edge magazine.

Bailes was previously a freelance writer and regular contributor to Edge, and has also written for Wired, The Guardian, Washington Post, Polygon, Eurogamer, GamesRadar, and Rock Paper Shotgun.

He also works as a freelance game consultant providing reviews and analysis to video game publishers.