Marc-Alexis has held a multitude of roles within Ubisoft over the last 19 years, ranging from Engineering, to Creative Direction, to Producing and now VP Executive Producer of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. His master's degree in Software Engineering and experience in creative roles give him a fresh view on game production which is reflected in the variety of titles he’s worked on, notably on the Prince of Persia, Immortals Fenyx Rising and the Assassin’s Creed brands.

Paige Bailey is the engineering lead for GenAI Developer Experience at Google. Paige has a deep understanding of the generative AI landscape, having previously served as an applied machine learning engineer at Microsoft and GitHub, and a product lead for Google's PaLM v2 and Gemini models. Paige is passionate about making cutting-edge AI technology accessible, and empowering developers to build the next generation of innovative applications.

Caroline brings over 11 years of expertise in the games industry, specializing in external development, fostering healthy partnerships, and spearheading initiatives for positive social impact. As a Senior Game Producer at Riot Games, she was a key member of the central external development team, focusing on relationship management with Riot's external game dev partners. Previously at EA, Caroline honed her skills in both game production and external development best practices. Known for her leadership and innovative approach, Caroline is passionate about building partnerships, driving social impact through gaming and implementing methodologies that are both efficient and human-centric through creative problem-solving.

At Snowed In Studios, Nigel is part of the management team that planned the growth of the studio from 25 to 200 game developers over five years. A project manager by training, Nigel has scaled up studios and game dev teams since 1994 in the US and Canada. Nigel was the producer for Next Level Games’ first console titles, development director at EA Black Box for the Need for Speed series, and he ran development for over 30 TV streaming apps including the Disney and NFL platforms. He holds an MBA from the University of Ottawa.

Nic (Nicole) West is an experienced entertainment professional passionate about curating and developing inspired teams to create quality content. She is the Co-Founder and Head of Operations at West Studio and the Chair and Visiting Professor at the University of Southern California's Division of Animation and Digital Arts. Her professional path has led her to a career in creative production and studio management. She has been fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside some of the most talented, passionate and creative individuals at: DreamWorks Television Animation and Feature Animation, Electronic Arts, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, Babel Media and Brash Entertainment.

Phil is the Co-Dev and Outsource Lead for Amazon Games. He has over 30 years of game development experience as a Content Creator, Art Director and Program Manager. Phil guides the strategy and implementation of external development across Amazon Games, supporting all development teams, disciplines and central groups. He manages partner relationships, and builds the systems and processes that lead to successful outcomes.

Shiew Yeu Loh is the Senior Art Outsourcing Manager at Riot Games overseeing RND projects. Before Riot, she was the Art Executive Producer at Amber Studio heading up Blockchain Game and NFT Art Production. At both places, she coached and mentored the art team to create mature processes, scalable and sustainable pipelines as well as enforcing alignment across the team. A game industry veteran, she started as a texture artist, a generalist and a producer in 2004 before working at Electronic Arts as the Senior External Development Artist for 14 years in the Sims Franchise. In 2020, she moved onto Pocket Gems as an Art Manager to oversee the art production for mobile game War Dragon as well as implementing diversity and inclusion content into their character library. She has been an avid speaker at various game industry conferences regarding being a mother in the game industry as well as topics that center around effective communication, empowering OS managers and diversity.

Nathalia joined Wildlife Studios in 2019 to create the company’s External Development team and establish its processes. Since then, she has helped grow the team, overseeing workflows, creating bridges with other internal departments, and managing 100+ partners from different game art disciplines, QA, UXR, and Localization. She has worked on all the company’s live games and is now focused on helping create new games by building successful relationships with external partners.

Juney is the XDI Operations Director at Electronic Arts, where she supports the XDI team, enabling 50+ EA franchises & central teams like FC, Battlefield, The Sims, Apex Legends and Frostbite through finding, signing and optimising external development engagements with uniquely diverse partners worldwide. She is also the Founder & Director of the Game Production Community, a 6.000+ member B2B game industry community of producers, project managers and leaders focused on exchanging knowledge & experiences in pursuit of sustainable, diverse, and profitable game development practices.

Karolina has worked at CD PROJEKT RED for 5 years, currently as a Procurement Manager reporting to the VP of Business Development. Initially, she was responsible for the preparation and implementation of the purchasing process in the organization, as well as for the implementation of an electronic system for purchasing goods and services. Currently, she manages a team that is responsible for carrying out all external purchases and ensuring that all processes and policies are updated. She also conducts training for employees regarding negotiations and the purchasing process.

Founder and Studio Director of Wild Blue Studios, a worker cooperative providing ultra premium art services.

Carina is Chief Product Officer and Co-founder of Simply Sweet Games and a dynamic force in the gaming industry with over 16 years of experience. Her impressive career includes significant contributions as a video game director and producer, working on projects ranging from indie games to massive AAA titles. She has collaborated with renowned teams such as EA, Microsoft, and Unity to successfully launch games on multiple Gen4 and Gen5 platforms. At Simply Sweet Games, Carina leads the creative direction and production efforts, focusing on delivering polished, high-depth premium games that appeal to diverse audiences.

Tyson is an experienced video game lawyer at DLA Piper and is located in beautiful, Vancouver, Canada. ‎Tyson works extensively in the video game industry and advises a broad range of Canadian and ‎international clients including indies, publishers, AAA studios, specialized service providers, and global ‎distribution platforms. ‎

Tyson is a regular speaker at video game events worldwide, including the Games Industry Law Summit ‎‎(Vilnius), Video Game Law Conference Tokyo, PocketGamer Connects, TwitchCon, DigiBC, and ‎multiple Video Game Bar Association events.‎

Michal boasts a decade of experience in the games and VFX industry across Europe and Asia. His journey has seen him work as a Technical Artist at Square Enix Japan, ARM, and Outpost VFX, where he specialised in physically-based rendering and R&D. Currently, Michal channels his expertise into building an innovative outsourcing venture Meta Meow delivering Technical Art and Graphics Programming services for console and PC game developers. He also leads tool development and research at Meta Meow. Join us as Michal shares his insights and experiences on external development in Asia.

Gav Shepherd has been an audio professional for over 30 years. His career started with point and click CD-ROM games in the ’90’s, then had a 15 year movie mixing career at Pinewood Studios before returning to games with Electric Square 6 years ago.

He is co-founder of Rev Rooms, a co-dev audio studio in Brighton providing audio and code services to AAA studios. On turning 50, he studied for an MA in entrepreneurship, which revealed a lot about how to lead a company.

Specializing in visual arts for games, Christian is directing the business development activities for MOOD Visuals, the leading AAA service provider in exceptional world design. With more than 10 years of experience in business development and engagement management, Christian’s focus has always been building long lasting, trust-based partnerships. Being a strong advocate for external development, he has had the pleasure of collaborating with some of the largest AAA IP holders in the world, including SONY, Microsoft, EA, and Tencent. Additionally, Christian has been a speaker at XDS in 2022 and 2023, co-founded CAVE Conference in 2022, and currently acting as executive producer for Kind of Art 2024, in Copenhagen.

With a degree in International Relations, Andreza started her career at the British Consulate, gaining invaluable experience. She then served as a consultant for the British Government in Brazil, forging dynamic partnerships between British and Brazilian companies. Her career path led her to teaching and various sales roles over the past 13 years, where she developed a knack for creative problem-solving. This ability eventually opened the door to an exciting opportunity in the gaming industry, rekindling her childhood passion for games. Outside of work, Andreza loves listening to captivating stories and cooking family recipes.

Daniel is a lawyer with a passion for the entertainment industries. After working as a film and television entertainment lawyer at a boutique law firm, Daniel transitioned into the world of gaming and now acts as an in-house lawyer at Kabam, Inc., a leading mobile video game company. At Kabam, he supports several different teams and advises on corporate, commercial, IP, and regulatory matters, including with respect to copyright and artificial intelligence issues, and on publishing agreements, license agreements, and, of course, on external development agreements and partnerships.

Ashley Celenza is a lawyer who brings her expertise in the areas of regulatory compliance and corporate and commercial law to the video game industry. As Commercial Counsel at Kabam, a leading developer of multiplayer mobile games, Ashley provides strategic legal guidance on a broad range of key issues in game development and publishing. Ashley adopts a proactive stance in navigating legal challenges in the rapidly evolving gaming sector, emphasizing innovation alongside adherence to legal best practices.

Abigail, with nearly six years in the gaming industry, began her journey as part of the External Development Summit (XDS) team. This experience ignited her passion for fostering relationships between developers and service providers. In 2022, she joined the External Development Intelligence (XDI) team at EA and currently works as a Development Manager, where she continues to build these crucial connections.

Abigail has a strong passion for leadership and continually seeks innovative ways to bridge the gap between diverse talents on the developer and service provider sides. She is committed to lifelong learning, always striving to enhance her skills and knowledge to better support her team and the projects she oversees.

Currently, Abigail supports EA’s sports franchises, contributing to the delivery of world-class games.

With 20 years of experience in M&A and Strategy, I lead the Corporate Development team at Keywords Studios. At Keywords, the Corporate Development team has successfully completed over 30 deals in the video game industry across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. These transactions have spanned a diverse array of sectors, including Art Services, Development, Engineering, Marketing Services, and Technology Studios, involving companies of various sizes and seller profiles. Before joining Keywords Studios, I worked in Corporate Strategy and M&A, both in corporate roles and as an advisor, in London, Lisbon, and São Paulo.

Matt Ditton has been in games for almost 25 years. Working in nearly every aspect of game development, art, programming, design, education, production and studio management. 11 years ago he started Mighty as an indie studio that he sold to Keywords in 2022. Since then it's grown into a 80 person team in 5 countries.

Jason serves as the Chief Commercial Officer at Devoted where he is focused in launching Devoted CG.  He has a wealth of experience spanning the entertainment industry and consulting with Fortune 500 companies. Prior to Devoted, he spent 13 years at Electronic Arts (EA) consulting with the c-suite as Head of Corporate Strategy, and previously as Head of External Development (XDI).  Before EA, Jason spent 10 years in research and consulting at Gartner.

Mali McGehee is the Department Head of External Development Intelligence at Electronic Arts, where she spearheads efforts to safeguard EA's global investments in external development. With a 20-year career in the gaming and entertainment industry, Mali has consistently positioned herself as a catalyst for collaboration, empowering teams and individuals to unlock their full potential and achieve extraordinary results. Her passion for connecting people and ideas drives innovation and success in every project she undertakes, making her a true leader in the gaming landscape.

David Armstrong is the Head of Data Science at MPG, A Keywords Studio. Specializing in multiplayer-focused games, he has contributed to titles such as Star Wars: The Old Republic, Elder Scrolls Online, Zombie Army 4, and SkySaga. He continues to support a diverse range of projects within the Keywords service line.

Erika is a Senior Outsourcing Production Manager at Ubisoft Montreal, building a team dedicated to external production on Assassin's Creed. With 18 years in the industry, she has shipped games across various franchises and worked on live games like Rainbow Six Siege. Erika is passionate about fostering robust partnerships and streamlining processes, empowering teams to achieve success. Her approach to collaboration is shaped by her multicultural upbringing and firsthand experience living in multiple countries. Her Master's degree in Multimedia Design and background as an artist give her unique insights on both content creation and production management.

Marti Romances is Creative Director and co-founder at Territory Studio in San Francisco. Born and educated in Barcelona, Marti draws from a range of influences, disciplines, and perspectives to design breakout content for gaming, film, brand and digital clients.

A motion graphic designer and multi-media artist by trade, Marti articulates stories in the most captivating ways, blending creativity with technology to realize innovative future-facing experiences.

Marti’s technical virtuosity is on display in fantasy, futuristic, and commercial projects, visual and experiential narratives that define the future of film, gaming, and real world objects.

His work on Ex Machina, Blade Runner 2049, The Martian, Avengers franchise as well as extensive gaming work for EA Sports, 2K, Monolith Games, and Microsoft has attracted brands such as Nike, GM, Lotus, Jaguar, Mercedes, Oculus, EA Sports, Warner Bros. Games, Netflix, LIV Golf, and Microsoft seeking his design work for use in real-world technology. Beyond memorable visual effects and digital experiences, Marti serves as an inspirational speaker, sharing his thoughts and experiences on design and creativity at events such as SXSW, Siggraph, MWC, Nike Immersion Labs, XDS, and OFFF.

“Our clients force us to reinvent ourselves,” explains Marti on the task of combining story, design, and technology.

“Rather than repeating the same thing we like to be challenged. Each job needs something different, and it is exactly because of this variety that we flex with ideas and continue to grow. We have the vision to tackle challenges from an upper level. It’s understanding the problem at hand and thinking deeper about solutions.”

30 years experience in Game Production for EA, Warner Bros., Activision, Sega, Zynga and others, currently overseeing the Globant Games Studio's Co-Dev, Engineering, Art and QA services for AAA partners across PC/Console/Mobile -- and loving it!

Jay is a game and technology development professional with experience in creating digital technologies and live service games for PC, console and mobile. He has managed studios of engineers for platform technology development enabling commerce, distribution, data analytics and live operations. Previous to joining Wizards of the Coast, Jay worked at Wargaming.net, Gazillion Entertainment, Sierra Online and WildTangent.

Notable Credits: Magic Spellslingers, Monetization Platform Technologies for Wargaming.net, Star Wars Attack Squadrons, Carcassonne , and Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.

Jay has over 27 years of experience in software development and games Production. Jay has worked with many AAA clients, including Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Sony, Warner Bros, and Disney. Before working at Pipeworks, Jay worked at Disney, Playdom, IAC, and Garage Games.

Notable Credits: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Spellslingers, Call of Duty: Vanguard, Madden 22-24, MS Flight Simulator, Zwift, Adventure Academy, City Girl Life, and Social City.

Yoyo Wu brings over 15 years of experience in the external development industry, having successfully collaborated with diverse, cross-cultural teams across various regions. Currently, Yoyo represents the business unit leader of EA XDI, a strategic intelligence consultancy group. In this role, Yoyo ensures that EA teams have access to the world's top external development partners while safeguarding the quality and security of engagements.

Marla D. Rausch is founder and CEO of Animation Vertigo, a motion capture animation company with locations in the US and the Philippines. For almost 20 years they’ve been considered a trailblazer in the motion capture industry providing postproduction services for leading video games franchises such as Activision ‘s Call of Duty, NetherRealm’s Mortal Kombat, as well as Triple A sports titles like NBA2k, FIFA and Madden to mention a few.

Marla’s advocacies support the entrepreneurial spirit and mentorship for women in the gaming and animation industries. She continues to expand her role by focusing on capability growth and development opportunities in the Philippines.

Joe is the co-founder and CEO of Timbre Games Studio based in Vancouver. With over 2 decades of experience Joe has spent time leading teams at EA Sports, Microsoft, Capcom, and prior to Timbre Games was the VP of Maxis Studios / Electronic Arts overseeing The Sims.

Karin Bruér is the External Development Manager at Remedy and has over 12 years of experience in the games industry working in production and art roles. With a background at companies like MachineGames, Avalanche and Rovio, she's worked on acclaimed titles such as Alan Wake 2, Deathloop, DOOM Eternal and Angry Birds 2. She directs and oversees external development on a strategic and operational level, cultivating long lasting relationships with external developers.