Leadership Day by IGDA Finland

There were no dedicated games leadership conferences in Europe... so we decided to make one! Leadership Day by IGDA Finland is an international event about how we build companies, teams and working cultures to build better games. We held the inaugural conference in 2019 and with the support of the community and aim to make it an annual forum for leadership in games.

#cultureofsharing

Games companies, their inner workings and cultures are some of the least documented aspects of game development. Yet we and our work are all defined by these choices every single day. Join us in learning and challenging the cutting edge of leadership in games from some of the brightest minds in the industry!

Less, but better

This one day event is designed around a thought provoking speaker track and ample room for networking with industry peers. We will of course organize an IGDA Mentorship Cafe to help you grow your professional network.

Like all things IGDA Finland, the conference is non-profit and made possible by our volunteers and partners.

Agenda

9:45 - 10:00 Opening Words, Teemu Haila & Natasha Skult

10:00 - 11:00 Keynote: The Flexible Leader: Improvise, Adapt & Overcome, by Lasse Seppänen (Supercell)

11:00 - 12:00 Culture Change Management, by Joonas Laakso (Next Games)

12:00 - 13:30 LUNCH, IGDA Finland Mentor Café

13:30 - 14:30 Hybrid is Accessible: Prioritizing an Accessible Workplace, by Felicia Prehn (Next Games)

14:30 - 15:30 Key learnings of a first-time CEO, by Henri Lindgren (Lightneer)

15:30 - 16:30 Climate Panel, guests: Maria Wagner (Games Forest Club gGmbH), Jani Kahrama (Secret Exit), Heini Kaihu (Rovio)

16:30 - 17:30 Retention of talent by bringing structure in intercultural chaos and activating a positive mindset, by Sandra-Carina Paukku (Redhill Games)

17:30 - 18:00 Closing words, Teemu Haila & Natasha Skult

18:00 - 19:00 Casual networking

Lasse started out in 1998 as an award-winning mobile game designer and through the next two decades journeyed through producer / exec producer / COO / CEO roles in both AAA and F2P game studios. He has been involved in more than 30 game projects, of which the most widely known are probably Alan Wake and Everdale. At Supercell he's a Game Lead for Everdale. This unique role merges all of his previous roles in a fascinating mix of business, production and creative. Lasse is also a life-time member of the IGDA and is a co-founder of the Finland chapter.

With 12 years of experience in the games industry, Henri is the CEO in one of the world’s leading hybrid casual game studios Lightneer - a Helsinki-based company that recently crossed 100 million downloads across their portfolio of games. Henri's strength is inspiring teams with his strong background in leadership and game development. He believes in empowering people in self organized teams: by growing our people we grow our businesses. He has led multiple award winning game projects during his career, previously working as the Head of Studio at Veikkaus Game Studio and the Executive Producer at Nitro Games.

Business allrounder with 20 years of experience in HR, marketing, project management and internal auditing. People´s person by heart with a passion for developing a successful company culture and increasing employee well-being in an international context. Previous work in different industries from very small family-owned businesses, government companies to big, international corporations. Constantly trying to find new and modern ways of talent growth – concentrating on a positive mindset and individual coaching.

Joonas has worked in PC, console, and mobile game production in team leadership roles since 2008. He changed track from producing games to HR during the pandemic: growing people, teams, & studios. He is a people leader first.

Maria is the Co-Founder & GM of the gamesforest.club a nonprofit, which supports the games industry to reduce its carbon footprint and invest into forests. She believes that using entertainment and technology for a good cause offers many opportunities and is currently one of the most attractive solutions in dealing with climate change. Maria has experience in the games industry and the political as well as non-profit sector at the German Embassy in Moscow or as the manager of a refugee accommodation in Berlin. From 2017 to 2020 she was the director of games:net, an initiative of media:net Berlin Brandenburg. In doing so, she connected the leading figures in the Berlin games industry and across Europe.

An accomplished gaming, product, and HR executive, Heini has a passion for sustainable development. Her background in both game development and leadership has given her many unique experiences facilitating dialogues between business and people. Her dedication drives her to continuously improve on the positive impact game companies have on social and environmental sustainability. As the leader of sustainability at Rovio, she is a pillar of the company's innovation and creativity.

Leading accessibility advocate who has been in the mobile game industry as a PX Specialist and producer for over six years. Blind and non-binary.

Jani is the founder and CEO of an inconsequential indie studio since 2006.

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