Expert Details
Video Game Products & Publishing
ID: 740319
Spain
Currently a consultant, Expert has advised prominent developers and publishers on transitioning to free-to-play models, focusing on product design, monetization, and market analysis. At Softgames, he guided a franchise pivot from Facebook Instant Games to mobile platforms, achieving significant improvements in retention and revenue. His tenure as Head of Game Studio at CrazyLabs involved leading teams in developing innovative casual games and launching successful titles like "Miraculous Puzzle Hero Match 3".
During his time at Zeptolab, he transformed the company’s publishing division into a cash-flow-positive operation. He spearheaded the global release of popular games, such as "Om Nom: Merge" and "Om Nom Run", and negotiated key partnerships for initiatives like Apple Arcade's "Cut the Rope Remastered". At Rovio Entertainment, he enhanced the profitability of major titles, such as "Angry Birds Evolution", through live operations and economy redesigns, earning recognition in the company’s leadership training program.
Earlier in his career, Expert held pivotal roles at Disney Mobile Games Studio and Geewa, where he drove monetization strategies and live event operations, achieving record engagement and revenue growth. He has also founded and managed game development projects, demonstrating a deep understanding of free-to-play systems, analytics, and player engagement.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 2005 | Degree: BA | Subject: Political Science and Russian Language & Literature | Institution: University of Southern California |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2023 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Consultant/Freelance | Department: |
Responsibilities:Naavik | Berlin, Germany (since 2021)• Engagements involving live service, large franchise developers and publishers who are looking to expand into "free to play." • Provided product, production, and analytical expert consulting services primarily reviewing product and monetization designs, business cases, roadmaps, market analysis, and revenue projections. • Contributor to the Master the Meta newsletter. SOFTGAMES | Berlin, Germany (2024) • Contracted to help Solitaire Home Story franchise team pivot from Facebook Instant to mobile • Mobile SKU delivered more than 50% (relative) increases in Day 1 & Day 3 retention and over 50% increase in week 1 conversion via overhauled first-time user experience and level design/balance. • Facebook Instant SKU delivered material, linear increases in revenue per player/payer and season pass revenue for virtually every content release as well as over 40% (relative) increase in Day 1, 3, & 7 Retention (D1 & D3 to record highs) |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2022 to 2023 | Employer: CrazyLabs/Embracer | Title: Head of Game Studio | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Product lead for multiple game teams tasked with finding new, innovative casual game mechanics responsible for team leadership and monetization design.• Product lead for Miraculous Puzzle Hero Match 3 (released globally in 2022). • Responsible for four new projects in various stages of early release & validation including Match Stars: PVP Puzzle Clash which successfully passed two key soft launch CPI & retention. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2021 to 2021 | Employer: Tilting Point | Title: Game Director | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Product lead with P&L responsibility for Tilting Point’s largest co-development project to date: M&M’s Adventure.• Responsible for ensuring co-development partners efficiently utilize Tilting Point’s tools and services by driving and overseeing their cooperation with marketing, creative, distribution, ASO, localization, data, core tech and other teams within Tilting Point, in addition to various 3rd party providers. • Directly responsible for brand management and compliance as the primary point of contact for licensors, owner of the brand review process, and the creative lead responsible for solving any conflicts between brand requirements and design. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2018 to 2020 | Employer: Zeptolab | Title: Head of Publishing | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Owned Publishing P&L and responsible for day-to-day operations, ensuring best in class support, advice, and analysis for the co-development partners and licensees.• Led a team of two Product Managers, an Analyst, an Ad Monetization Manager, and two Business Developers to onboard, manage, and grow a portfolio of co-developed and licensed products. • Oversaw ~70 marketability and prototype tests, 5 soft launches, 2 global releases (Om Nom: Merge & Om Nom Run with over 30 million downloads to date), as well as several other projects still in active development. • Successfully led Cut the Rope Remastered to signature with Apple Arcade and through most of development, which resulted in immediate, material growth in profitability. • Successfully transitioned publishing operations from a singular focus on ‘traditional’ IP game development to multiple lines of business including co-development, CPI test driven concepting, licensing, and an expansion into challenging international markets. • Turned around a severely unprofitable division into a cash flow positive operation. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2015 to 2018 | Employer: Rovio Entertainment | Title: Director, Product Management | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Supervised work of product and data analysis teams at two external developers for Angry Birds Action & Angry Birds Evolution• Led an overhaul of live operations and economy design which resulted in nearly doubling player lifetime value and a positive return on advertising spend. • Worked with the Creative Director for Physical & Digital to integrate AR mini games for multiple consumer product integrations in Angry Bird Action. • Implemented hypothesis-driven live operations process which resulted in significantly increased experiment & update velocity. • Responsible for coordinating internal platform, BI, advertising operations, and marketing resources with external development partners. • Regularly worked with finance on reporting & revenue forecasting and personally designed the financial model used across the company for co-development deals. • One of 10 employees selected for first, annual "High Potential Employee" leadership training program. • Started and ran bi-weekly ‘Numbers Review’ where all the product managers shared their actions and learnings for peer review. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2014 to 2015 | Employer: Geewa | Title: Director of Business Intelligence & Monetization | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Member of management team responsible for executive decisions during interim period with no CEO.• Directly supervised two data analysts and oversaw maintenance of proprietary BI tech stack. • Overhauled live operations with hypothesis-driven development process. • Worked with three game teams as studio's monetization expert reviewing features and systems design, monetization mechanics, live ops roadmaps, UI flows, etc. • Owned product and analysis reporting to game teams, progress reports to entire studio, forecasting, and P/L updates for studio leadership/investors. • Directed redesign of economy & live events in Pool Live Tour that resulted in three consecutive months of record setting ARPDAU, increased engagement (matches per user +15%), and improved retention (D1, D3, & D7 all +10-15%). |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2013 to 2014 | Employer: Disney Mobile Games Studio | Title: Manager, Product Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Shipped The Lone Ranger by Disney (as Product Manager) overseeing the release, updates, experiments, and live events and shipped Star Wars: Assault Team (as Product Lead), overseeing the full launch cycle and similar live operations.• Product Lead for the live ops of Nemo’s Reef, delivered ongoing revenue and engagement improvements with limited development resources and 0 paid UA via bi-monthly events that doubled event ARPDAU and new features that improved 'baseline' ARPDAU by 30%. • On Star Wars: Assault Team optimized IAPs resulting in 20% increase in conversion rate and 20% increase in ARPDAU & designed events that resulted in a 30% increase in event ARPDAU. • Worked regularly with QA to confirm proper implementation of live events and analytics, art/UX specialists on UI & UX for events & IAPs, design on new features/events, BI on all the studio's analysis, and studio leadership on new projects (product reviews & revenue projections). • Owned product & analysis reporting to game team, progress reports to entire studio, forecasting, and P&L updates for studio leadership & Disney executives. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2012 to 2013 | Employer: Enigmatus | Title: Online Marketing Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Product Lead for Slotopoly, a social casino Facebook game; led core loop design and owned design documentation for ‘Slotopoly 2.0’ redesign.• Doubled ARPU and conversion rate by optimizing UA campaigns and marketing creatives. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2005 to 2013 | Employer: Creo Ludus Entertainment | Title: Managing Director | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Product Lead for space shooters Shadows of Siren (Released on Kongregate.com) and Homeworld: Resurrection (cancelled).• Responsible for core loop design, monetization strategy, and business documentation, including pitch materials, financials, and forecasts. |
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Career Accomplishments
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| Scrum Master Scrum Product Owner |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Expert has written numerous articles for well-respected industry publications and has given multiple talks at general business and data conferences. |
Language Skills
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Russian | Advanced/Fluent |
| Spanish | Advanced/Fluent |