🎙️  Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started as a Project Manager in the gaming industry?

💬 Honestly, getting into the gaming industry wasn’t something I had planned. It just sort of happened. I’ve always been an avid gamer growing up and even now, but my career didn’t start in gaming. My first job was actually in banking, and I quickly realized it just wasn’t for me. I wasn’t very good at it and, more importantly, I didn’t enjoy it. I always felt like I belonged somewhere in the entertainment space. I eventually moved into media and entertainment when I joined Prime Focus Technologies as a Project Coordinator. There, I managed projects for a very talented localization team, which was my first real exposure to coordinating creative teams and managing production pipelines. After that, I
moved to Technicolor, where I got a deeper understanding of production workflows while working in the film industry. It was a great learning experience in terms of how structured large-scale productions are. Then COVID hit, (I was part of the first lay-off at Technicolor MPC) and around that time I got a call
from ZVKY about an opportunity in gaming. Given my love for games, it felt like the right move to make. Since then, I’ve really enjoyed being part of the gaming industry. Working at ZVKY has exposed me to many different kinds of games and production pipelines, and it’s been great to see how games come together from concept to final delivery.    

🎙️  You’ve handled AAA, mobile, and casino slot projects. How do you adapt your project management style for each of these different segments?

💬 For AAA-style projects, it’s really about structure and long-term planning. These projects usually involve large teams, multiple departments, and longer production cycles. So I focus a lot on documentation, milestone planning, and making sure communication between art, tech, and design stays tight. For example, when we worked on projects that required Unreal-compatible characters and animations, the pipeline had to be very structured. Starting with model approvals, then rigging, then animation integration. If something like the skeleton compatibility wasn’t checked early, it could affect multiple downstream tasks. So a lot of the management there is about planning ahead and avoiding those kinds of cascading issues.

With mobile games, things move much faster and there’s usually more iteration. My approach there is more agile.. like shorter sprints, quicker feedback loops, and staying flexible. For instance, when working on LIVE mobile titles, assets often had to move quickly from concept to final delivery because they were tied to in-game events or updates. (Live-Ops) In those situations, the priority is keeping the team moving fast while still maintaining quality.

Casino slot projects are unique because they’re extremely template and pipeline-driven. A lot of the structure is already defined.. You have a fixed reel layout, symbol sets, feature requirements, and cabinet or engine constraints. Because of that, my focus is on managing the asset pipeline very efficiently. The challenge is coordinating many small but interdependent pieces like symbols, UI, background art, feature animations, and integration builds, etc etc…all moving in parallel. If one part slipped, it could affect the build submission timeline, so a lot of my role was making sure every stage of the asset pipeline stayed synchronized.

🎙️ You work with producers, artists, and developers on multiple projects. What’s your approach to keeping everyone aligned and motivated toward a shared goal?

💬 For me, it really comes down to keeping everyone aligned around one clear goal…delivering work that the client is happy with. Customer satisfaction is always the main focus, so we make sure that expectation is clear across producers, artists, and developers. I’m fortunate to work with a very skilled group of Producers, and we also have extremely talented Designers, Leads, Artists and Developers who take a lot of pride in what they create. Because the team is strong, my role is mainly about keeping everyone aligned on priorities, timelines, and client feedback. We usually stay connected through regular syncs and quick check-ins so nothing slips through the cracks. I also try not to micromanage. The team knows their craft well. My focus is more on making sure communication is smooth, feedback reaches the right people quickly, and any blockers are removed. When you have a capable team and everyone understands the end goal, alignment and motivation tend to happen naturally.

🎙️   Live Ops is a major part of keeping games active and engaging. What role does project management play in ensuring smooth Live Ops execution?

💬 In our case, Live Ops works a little differently because we support Live Ops for the client rather than controlling the product decisions ourselves. So a big part of project management for us is making sure we can execute the client’s requests smoothly and quickly. Most Live Ops tasks are tied to events, updates, or content drops, and they usually come with tight timelines. Our role is to make sure the requirements from the client are clearly understood, broken down into tasks, and assigned to the right artists or developers without confusion. Another important part is coordination. Live Ops often involves multiple small assets or changes that need to go out together, so we make sure everything moves through the pipeline on time, from concept to final delivery, and that feedback from the client is incorporated quickly. Since these updates are usually time-sensitive, keeping communication tight and removing blockers becomes very important. The goal is to make sure the client can run their Live Ops smoothly because our deliverables reach them on time and at the expected quality.

🎙️  How do you manage client expectations, especially when timelines, scope, or priorities shift during production?   

💬 Managing client expectations mostly comes down to clear and honest communication. In production, timelines, scope, or priorities shifting is fairly common, so the key is making sure the client always has visibility on what’s happening. When something changes, we first assess the impact internally, whether it affects timelines, resources, or other tasks in the pipeline. Once the Team and I have a clear picture, we communicate that to the client along with possible options. For example, it might mean adjusting the delivery schedule, prioritizing certain assets first, or slightly modifying the scope. We’ve found that clients usually appreciate transparency. If they understand the trade-offs early, it becomes much easier to realign expectations and move forward without surprises. Another thing we focus on is regular updates. Keeping clients informed through milestone check-ins or progress updates helps avoid situations where issues surface too late. That way, even if things shift during production, everyone stays aligned and decisions can be made quickly.

🎙️  Can you share an instance where a project faced unexpected challenges, and how you helped bring it back on track?

💬 Well… I have a plethora of these instances. 🙂 One situation I remember was during a project where we were producing a large number of assets while also supporting live updates for the client. Midway through production, some requirements changed and a few assets that were already in progress needed revisions. At the same time, approvals on a few concepts were taking longer than expected, which started slowing down the teams that were waiting on finalized references. To address this, we quickly reviewed the impact internally and reorganized priorities. We split the work into smaller batches so parts of the team could continue moving forward while a smaller group focused on the revisions. We also redistributed a few resources temporarily to handle the more urgent tasks. At the same time, we increased the frequency of syncs with the client so feedback and approvals could move faster. Once the workflow was adjusted and everyone was aligned on the new priorities, the pipeline stabilized and we were able to deliver everything without derailing the overall schedule.

🎙️ What processes or tools do you use to ensure efficiency and transparency across teams during different stages of a project?

💬 We rely on a mix of defined processes and tools across different stages of a project. From a process standpoint, work usually moves through clear production stages such as concept, approval, production, review, and final delivery. We also run regular syncs with producers and team leads to review progress, address blockers, and align on priorities. Internally, we use JIRA for task tracking, Google trackers for project visibility, and Confluence for documentation. When working with clients, we adapt to their preferred systems. Over time we’ve worked with tools like Trello, Wrike, ClickUp, Perforce, and Basecamp, depending on the client’s workflow.

🎙️ How do you see AI tools influencing project planning, resource management, or
communication workflows in the near future?  

💬 In my opinion, quite a lot. We’re already starting to see AI tools influence how teams plan and manage projects, and I think that will only grow in the near future. From a project management perspective, AI can help with things like faster task breakdowns, estimating timelines, and so much more. On the communication side, AI tools are already helping summarize meetings, organize notes, and track action items. That said, I still think human judgment will remain very important. (And probably always will) AI can support planning and workflows, but decisions around priorities, client expectations, and creative direction will still need people who understand the context of the project.  

🎙️  Looking ahead, what trends or changes do you think will shape the role of project managers in the gaming and iGaming industries?

💬 I think a few things will shape the role of project managers in the gaming and iGaming space over the next few years. One big change will definitely be AI becoming part of the development pipeline. Studios are already using AI for things like testing, content generation, and workflow automation, so project managers will need to understand how these tools fit into production and how to manage teams working with them. Another trend is the shift toward live and continuously updated games. More titles today operate as long-term services rather than one-time releases, which means production doesn’t really stop after launch. That puts more emphasis on Live Ops planning, quick content cycles, and coordinating multiple teams working on updates. We’re also seeing more cross-platform development where games launch across mobile, PC, and console ecosystems. That adds complexity in terms of pipelines, builds, and coordination across different teams and technologies. Because of all this, I think project managers will increasingly act as connectors between creative teams, technology, and business goals. It won’t just be about tracking tasks anymore, it’ll be more about managing complex pipelines, coordinating distributed teams, and adapting quickly as tools and production methods evolve.

🎙️ What do you think about iGamity and its idea of building a collaborative community hub for studios and professionals?

💬 Great initiative!! Communities like yourselves, iGamity are quite valuable for the industry, especially in a space like iGaming where professionals are often spread across different studios and regions. From what I’ve seen, iGamity has been growing steadily on LinkedIn and it’s nice to see the kind of conversations and visibility it’s creating for people working in the industry. Platforms like this make it easier for studios and professionals to connect, share experiences, and learn from each other. It’s also nice to see the focus on the people behind the games, artists, developers, designers, and producers, who don’t always get the spotlight. It’s great to see the momentum it’s gaining on LinkedIn. Good job to the team behind iGamity