skills are very high. I learned all about the structure around progression there. In the car industry, they recognise that people management and technical leadership are two different paths. You get a choice. If you want to be a people manager, you have to demonstrate that capability, but you’re no longer the technical expert. I very much believe in that and have brought that idea to Radical Forge.
at Avalanche Studios. It was great being back in games, but I went to Radical Forge because I saw a young team with incredible passion and creativity, and I felt I could bring something helpful to them. I met the founder, Bruce, and our conversations about what they were doing and how I could help eventually turned into something more serious. It was exciting for me to work in a small indie studio where you can really impact the outcome. It’s much harder to create change in a big organisation, and I wanted to go on a change journey with a team.
YOU’RE DESCRIBED AS SOMEONE WHO ‘LIFTS PEOPLE UP’. WHAT DOES MENTORSHIP MEAN TO YOU AND HOW DO YOU SUPPORT EMERGING TALENT? It’s one of my favourite parts of the job. It’s a way of sharing the wisdom you’ve gained over the years in a helpful way, rather than just telling people things. It’s more like a coaching relationship. I usually start by understanding a person’s core values and motivations. Often, it’s just about providing an opportunity for someone to talk through their challenges; they usually have the answers themselves. The most rewarding part is seeing someone grow, especially in confidence. For people from minority groups, the impact on confidence can be massive, so guiding them from that space into a more confident one is a great journey. It has to be demonstrated that it’s okay to make mistakes; you can’t just say it.
YOU LEFT THE GAMES INDUSTRY TO GO TO BENTLEY. WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THAT?
I was working on a driving game for Sony and was responsible for licensing, so I met all the major car companies. Bentley was one of them, and I lived 10 minutes from the factory. While I absolutely loved my job at Sony, I couldn’t see a clear career pathway for me there. So, when a prestigious company like Bentley came along with an offer, it was difficult to say no. It was a great career move; I spent seven years there and learned a huge amount.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN THERE THAT YOU’VE BROUGHT BACK TO YOUR ROLE IN GAMES? Lots! In the automotive sector, the standards are incredibly high. The Volkswagen Group has an incredible learning and development programme. The expectations for leadership, feedback, and assessment
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TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK WITH GAME CHANGERS? Game Changers was born out of the skills crisis in the games industry around 2020-2022. The careers hub in Liverpool brought a group of us together to discuss the problem. We decided to force ourselves into action by making a pledge, inspired by Ukie’s #RaiseTheGame. We pledged to make Liverpool the best place to make games in the world and committed to doing eight hours of related work per year. We split into groups focusing on different areas: schools, further/higher education, vocational training, and in-career development. We’re about to publish our Year Two report, which captures all the work we’ve done, from work experience events to launching an accredited leadership diploma.
WHAT CHANGES OR INITIATIVES ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT DRIVING IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?
At Radical Forge, I’m passionate about helping indie developers achieve sustainability and security. Game Changers will always be massively important to me because I see its real, immediate impact. We already have case studies of young people we’ve helped who are now working in the industry.
Another passion project at the moment is the concept of Public Service Games. I’m working with a friend to bring forward the case for a public service games entity in the UK. I believe it would change the landscape of the UK games industry in only beneficial ways. It addresses challenges around funding and diversity of content. We’re often making sequels of the same style of games for the same audiences. A public service model could provide an opportunity to explore content for new audiences, tell stories that aren’t being told, and hire more inclusively. It could also be a fertiliser for young creatives and start-ups, much like public service has helped broadcast entertainment over the years.
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