1. Hey John, thanks for joining us! Tell us a bit about yourself.

When people ask me this question, whether in this forum (notice my play on words there), I always begin with the statement, "I'm a lifelong gamer." Gaming has been a constant part of my life since I was 5 years old, as that's when I received my first console, a Commodore 64, as a hand-me-down from my cousin. From that moment on, I was captivated. In keeping with the generations’ customs, my parents would often encourage me to go outside and play football on the street with my brother and the other children from our estate. However, I can't deny the excitement whenever I was granted permission to indulge in the wonders of the C64. It felt like an entirely new world had unfolded before my eyes, I was completely hooked.

Aside from gaming, my life revolves around my loved ones: my friends, family, and my faithful companion, Archie, the dog. Additionally, Rugby has played a significant role throughout my adulthood. I have dedicated a substantial portion of my life to this sport, and one of my proudest moments was when I served as the captain for my local team, East London RFC. Leading the team to victory in division 3 and securing our promotion to division 2 remains a proud memory. I view my involvement in sports, particularly captaining the team, as my first foray into "management." I believe that my management style has been  influenced by this experience, and many of the principles I adhere to grew from the valuable lessons I learned during that time.

      2. Can you walk us through your experience in the gaming industry?

Half of my career unfolded outside gaming, though this was not by choice. I always aspired to a gaming role, so I finally took the plunge to jump from finance to performance marketing where I received my first shot. My gaming journey began at Green Man Gaming (GMG), granting my initial taste of the gaming world I had longed for. I soon began to realise that during my time in the financial world, I concealed my true self under a ‘finance facade’, ultimately forfeiting my individuality. Joining GMG transformed my experience, revealing my hidden, kindred gaming spirit. 

I then spent four years at ironSource, ascending to the role of Director in EMEA. I also immersed myself in strategic developments, working closely with Nadav Ashkenazy, now Games Manager of SuperSonic Studios. My first opportunity on the publishing side arrived as Head of Growth at Coda Platform, a pioneering company that led accessible publishing platforms. Then came the role of a lifetime when I joined Luna Labs as part of the founding team and Vice President of Operations, a role where I learned most about leadership and operations. Following an acquisition by ironSource, we continued to work with developers globally and pushed our technology to market leadership.

     3. So what is next for you John?

I have recently joined Kwalee as the Vice President of Mobile Publishing, and it feels like a dream come true. I have had the privilege of working alongside gaming legends Jason Falcus and David Darling in the past, who are Kwalee's COO and CEO, for the past decade. Our journey kicked off in 2015 at GamesCom, where Jason introduced me to TENS, a captivating casual numbers game developed by Kwalee. I took on their account and had the pleasure of overseeing multiple game launches during the Hyper Casual boom.

I have personally witnessed the incredible growth of Kwalee, from a modest team of 30-40 individuals to a thriving powerhouse of 400+ talented individuals. It is an exhilarating new chapter for me, and I am thrilled to bring my expertise to the table to contribute to Kwalee's ongoing success in mobile publishing.

    4. Congratulations! Are you excited to return to the publisher side of the industry? 

My goal has always been to work on the studio side, as it aligns perfectly with my passion and interests for games. I firmly believe that a ‘high tide raises all ships’', and in this role, I'll have the privilege to engage with numerous studios. Even if I can't publish their games due to metrics or the game not fitting our expertise, I'm committed to providing the best possible support. It's all part of my mission to foster collaboration and growth in the gaming industry.

    5. What drew you to Kwalee? 

As mentioned previously, I've had a close, long standing connection with this team, so when the opportunity arose, I knew I couldn’t let it pass. Jason and David combined bring 60 years of gaming wisdom to the table, and missing this prospect to learn from them was out of the question. The wider team is equally impressive, as the internal development team has produced wildly successful titles, including GoFish, Looper, Airport Security, and my all-time favourite Hyper Casual game, Plank. They're also among the select few developers with over a billion game downloads under their belt. I’m filled with immense pride to now oversee a division in this remarkable company.

    6. What can we expect from the team at Kwalee with you bringing your Creative knowledge to the Publishing team?

I offer a unique perspective shaped by my 20 year career, which has spanned diverse roles. I've consistently carried valuable insights from one role to the next, whether in finance, performance marketing, or publishing. What really excites me the most is the opportunity to identify subtle gaps and unlock operational productivity to push the team forward. 

Networking has always been a passion, and I firmly believe in the mantra "your network is your net worth." Over the years, I've had the pleasure of connecting with remarkable individuals and studios, and I'm eager to leverage these connections to enhance the team's pipeline, enabling a sharper focus on game metrics improvement and the launch of more successful titles.

    7. Finally, you’re stuck on a desert island and you can take one song and one book with you. What song and book are you taking?

Due to the harsh environment, and the need for survival, my chosen book would have to be ‘Can’t Hurt Me’ by David Goggins, as to activate my animal instinct and ensure my mindset didn’t ever waiver.  My song choice would have to be ‘(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher’ by Jackie Wilson, it’s more the association of this song with the Ghostbusters movie, each time I hear it, a smile is guaranteed no matter what.