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Company

A leading edge game console development company, specializing in advanced animation, technology, design and audio for XBox, PS2 and other platforms.  I was recruited to join the studio as it was in the process of bring acquired by a major game publisher, and they required that a seasoned development executive be recruited.

Position Summary

• The running of all product development activities within Kodiak, including:

• Coordinating Studio level personnel including Director of Technology, Art Director, Project Support Director and Producers
• Set studio PD expectations including standards for code, art, audio, design, QA
• Client liaison on 'live' projects
• Setting the standards for weekly tracking documentation, project management systems and reports, project metrics, team structures and reporting
• Pitching new concept ideas for projects to third-party publishers

Achievements

• Helped Kodiak win contracts for new high profile next-generation projects 
• Improved product development efficiencies

• Through focus on production pipelines (e.g. art to code); focus on individual responsibilities (helps both mentoring and efficiency).  This has a direct impact on Kodiak’s ability to deliver high quality products on time and on budget

• Implemented post-mortems

• For products developed at Kodiak.  This helps individuals, as well as the company, appreciate what went right and what could have gone better during development of a product.  Actions arise from the post mortems, which are put into place to improve future product productions.

• Created PowerPoint and web-based presentations

• To help showcase Kodiak’s abilities.  This directly helped Kodiak to attract new talent to its staff, as well as interest third-party publishers to use Kodiak as a development resource, thus attracting new business for the company.

• Designing and programming Kodiak’s web-site
• Completed two major projects with Electronic Arts 
  • “WCW MAYHEM"
  • "WCW BACKSTAGE ASSAULT"

  Oversaw development of leading-edge console games including:-

  • CIRCUS MAXIMUS (an original Kodiak concept)
  • MONSTERS INC. (Disney)
  • BASEBALL (Microsoft)

(Click here to see Softography)

• Introduced a structured process of project management to Kodiak

• Including the introduction of Team Manager software.  Part of my ‘Development Discipline’   philosophy, project management techniques better allow Kodiak to build complicated projects on next generation technologies.

• Represented Kodiak at Client meetings
• Establishment of regular internal senior and PD meetings

• Including Monthly Steering Committee, Monthly Company Meeting, Monthly Producer Meeting plus bi-weekly one-on-ones for my direct reports.  These became part of everyday  working practice at Kodiak.

• Established the audio and the design disciplines within Kodiak

• These were additional areas of speciality that Kodiak did not have when I joined them; the inclusion of them helped offer our clients a rounded, “one-stop shop” for creating new projects.

• Established a range of extra curricular activities for the advancement of the employees

• These are mainly in the form of regular self-help tutorials, where members of staff with particular expertise share their knowledge and tips with other members of staff.  Subjects ranged from programming, art, project management and use of key software packages.  These were very popular with staff.

• Scored average 9.3 out of 10 in staff feedback
  • In my first review at Kodiak, the staff were invited to rate my performance in 15 keys areas, where 1 is the lowest and 10 the highest.  I consider that my average score is a significant achievement, especially considering that I am a foreign worker who has been responsible for a lot of change in my time at Kodiak.
• Achieved promotion to Kodiak Board and position of President in October 2000

Reason For Leaving

Kodiak was a largely self-funded development operation.  During 2001 it experienced a number of project difficulties including a project cancellation when a publisher got taken over, and also was unable to secure new project work within a timeframe that was required for cash flow.  In December 2001 the Owners chose to wind-down development operations, which was a huge blow to the studio.  I oversaw the wind-down operation into 2002 including negotiating deals with our publishers so their titles could be completed despite the studio closure. 

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Kodiak saw a period of rapid growth during this time from 25 employees to more than 70.  It was a challenge to manage not only the growth, but also the changes to development that were required as the company transitioned to next generation consoles

Trade Interview, CTW July 2001
(Click to enlarge)

"Monsters Inc"

"WCW"

"Circus Maximus"