Highly accomplished Business / Partnership Development / Customer Success Manager professional with robust experience as a strategic account/partner development and high-level project manager. A proven performer in the international gaming, anime, high-tech, and entertainment industries. Expert in creating opportunities for partner development, account/relationship management, and business development. Innovative ability to identify strategic long-term business relationships leading to incremental revenue for platform holders and publishers/developers in the evolving global digital market. An effective manager who works with worldwide groups to successfully launch and operate critical programs. Proven leadership ability in building teams up. Strategic thinker who is able to collaborate and influence at all levels of an organization.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Strategic Relationships: Developed strategies to form new partnerships outside the video game sector to generate more revenue and expand the customer base. The resulting marketing/cross-promotion partnership deals were secured adding $40M in new business, and reversing a stagnant business trend.
Innovative Thinking: Proposed and gained acceptance for a mutually beneficial movie + gaming deal with market leading Studios resulting in a dramatic 500% revenue increase for the company, expanding Sony’s Movie Studios partner reach and propelling PlayStation’s Store movie sales to its current 35% of total revenue.
Leveraging Customers / Marketplace: retained a leading firm to rev up social media activities designed to capture new fans and expand the traditional gaming demographics. Organized community events in major market cities, using a well-known YouTuber to visibly promote products, thus tripling the fan base from 500K to over 1.5M and reaching new average sale highs of 26% above targets, despite being outspent 3-5x by nearest competitors.
Global Project Manager with a successful track record: Steered key international corporate projects, leading global teams to successful launches through innovation and keen vision. (PlayStation 4: $4.3B in operating income in 2013 - Xbox 360: $3.14B in revenue in 2006.)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Full Game Development company:
Senior Business Development Manager 2022 - present
• Identify, contact, and build relationships with developers and publishers
• Maintain and deepen the existing business relationships with platform companies (Sony, Nintendo, Xbox, and Epic), and key players (AAA studios).
• Track market trends and identify business opportunities and risks to the CEO
• Act as the face of the studio at on and offline events through strong networking
• Advise management and colleagues on client needs, strategy, and external communications
• Create an opportunity database, design business development processes and priorities
Video Game Developer and Software Developer Company
Director of Business Development (2 years)
• Led Business Development Group activities and actively participate in defining corporate strategy.
• Developed and maintained relationships with console/PC platform companies, leading video game publishers and game developers, and computer chip makers and identify new strategic partnership opportunities.
• Identified trends in the gaming industry and actively developed a pipeline of new opportunities based on current IPs as well as newly created IPs.
• Managed the day-to-day requirements of Engine licensing and business relationships with the Engine licensees and partners.
Gaming Consulting Company
Consultant for game/app developers and technology companies (4 years)
• Managed partnerships with major game publishers, developers, software/IT, and semiconductor chip manufacturers and explored marketing and social media opportunities to build strong industry partnerships.
• Spearheaded development of global multi-million $ deals with global key companies and manage accounts end-to-end.
• Conducted a comprehensive analysis of partner needs, developed proposal plans to drive further business, and negotiated deals and potential partnerships.
Game Publishing Company,
Business Development & Partner Management (4 years)
Reported to the SVP; was responsible for identifying and developing new business partners in the non-game industries. Hired, trained, and managed 1 direct report.
• Led revenue growth in digital business by 38% and developed partnerships with e-sports, streaming, and mobile game companies.
• Identified, negotiated, and managed licensing, collaborations, and partnership projects with game publishers, mobile game developers, entertainment, media, and publishers in the United States and Japan.
• Successfully collaborated with leading companies like ABC TV, Apple, Crunchyroll, DeNA, Funimation, Google, Kodansha, Microsoft, Namco, NBC Universal, NHK, Nintendo, Nvidia, Samsung, Softbank, Sony, Square-Enix, TV Asahi and Ubisoft.
• Developed corporate strategies for PC, mobile, and consoles businesses in North America. Identified and grew the business with partners in new segments (streaming, mobile, e-Sports, VR, TV, and anime content).
• Managed weekly calls and meetings with marketing, ad agencies, and internal teams to develop and analyze online ad campaigns and make improvements to maximize revenue.
Research and Development Company for Hardware and Software Related to a Marketing Leading Console:
Director, Publisher, and Developer Relations - (6 years)
Reported to the SVP of Publisher Relations; was responsible for managing business partners and securing future content for platforms. Hired, trained, and managed 4 direct reports in 2 groups (11 team members).
• Managed division of the Publisher Account Management team while maintaining business partnerships with 8 of the company's top 15 accounts; generated over $250M in annual royalty revenue.
• Oversaw Developer Relations group, cultivating new thriving partnerships and bringing in more than 580 global mobile and game developers. Managed partner and business development with major mobile game developers and indie developers.
• Negotiated content deals for games for smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices.
• Negotiated with publishers, developers, and movie studios.
• Significantly improved business relationships and royalty revenue with major accounts and secured exclusive deals for games.
• Collaborated with other company regions for global platform initiatives/projects and multi-region deals.
A leader in Software, Services, Devices, and Solutions.
Business Development Manager - (2 years)
Reported to the Director of Business Development Group; was responsible for the success of the consoles launch in 2005.
• Effectively managed and developed business and partner relationships with American, Japanese and Asian publishers, and developers.
• Negotiated development, licensing, and marketing agreements for the comsoles launch with publishers including Square-Enix (FF11), Sega (Sonic The Hedgehog), Ubisoft (Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter), Tecmo (DOA4 and Ninja Gaiden), Activision (COD2 and 3), THQ (Saints Row), Namco-Bandai (Ace Combat 6, Idol Master and Katamari Damacy), Capcom (Dead Rising and Lost Planet) and Konami (DDR), Fromsoft (Armored Core 3) Hudson (Fusion Frenzy 2)
EDUCATION
Boston University, Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Boston, MA
Temple University, Master of Laws (LL.M) Philadelphia, PA
Aichi University, Bachelor of Arts in Law
