Industry Movers: SGN, GameStop, Oberon and More

SGN - Randy Breen

SGN announced this past week that industry veteran Randy Breen has been named the company's CEO. He joined SGN last year as COO. Founder Shervin Pishevar will stay with SGN as executive chairman. SGN has had 15 million unique downloads on the App store.

“Over the last five months, Randy has done an incredible job leading the company and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him,” said Pishevar. “With the industry preparing for explosive growth this year - resulting from massive expansion in the iPhone, Android and tablet marketplace - I strongly believe that Randy's experience and knowledge will be instrumental in building SGN into the largest mobile social gaming company of 2010 and beyond.”

Breen has worked for over 20 years in the gaming industry. He got his start at EA and worked in several production roles at the company until moving on to producer and creative director positions over a 15-year span. He then spent five years at LucasArts as vice president of product development, ending his stint soon after the infamous cancellation of Sam & Max: Freelance Police in August 2004. He later joined with Emotiv Systems in 2005 as Chief Product Officer.

“Working with Shervin and the team over the past five months has exceeded all of my expectations coming into the company,” said Breen. “I've witnessed the birth of EA and LucasArts' gaming business, but I've never seen such an immense opportunity in gaming as SGN has ahead of it.”

GameStop - Michael Mauler

GameStop announced recently that Michael Mauler has been promoted to Executive Vice President of GameStop International. This puts him at the forefront of the company's 15 countries outside of North America.

"Mike's leadership qualities as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and International Support have been instrumental in developing the infrastructure, distribution capabilities, and international online sales strategies to support our continued international growth,” said R. Richard Fontaine, Executive Chairman of GameStop. "We have benefited from Mike's talents, dedication, and leadership since 2005 when we acquired Electronics Boutique, where he served as Vice President of Logistics. Mike has also held senior management positions for Dade Behring and Fisher Scientific, where he led operations for 22 countries. He is the right person at the right time for this challenge, and he is a great representative of GameStop's entrepreneurial spirit.”

Mauler was previously the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and International Support for GameStop. The company's U.S. and Canadian operations will continue to be directed by J. Paul Raines, GameStop's Chief Operating Officer.

Arkadium - Dan Hart

This past week, Arkadium announced that Dan Hart was named Chief Revenue Officer. He will create new monetization strategies and lead the company's social gaming initiative.

“2010 is a year of opportunities and significant growth for Arkadium. We’re excited to bring Dan on board to further develop and push our social gaming and monetization strategies to the next level,” said Kenny Rosenblatt, CEO of Arkadium. “Dan brings a depth of experience that will help Arkadium create products that benefit our partners and tap the revenue potential of the millions of casual gamers that play across our network every day.”

Hart has over a dozen years of experience in the gaming industry. He started at MTV parent Viacom, serving as VP of Planning and Development for New Media. Hart moved on to Yahoo!’s Entertainment Group where he led the popular Yahoo! Games. He later went on to be VP of Online Games Strategy and Operations for the Digital Music and Media group at MTV Networks. Hart most recently served as SVP and GM of MTV Digital, overseeing all operational aspects of MTV.com, helping to grow and innovate the property.

Oberon Media - Pat Barry

Recently, casual games company Oberon Media announced that it named Pat Barry as Chief Financial Officer. He will work with the executive management team to set strategy and direction for Oberon's global businesses, working on the company's financial reporting, analysis and financial operations.

"With expertise in e-commerce solutions, strategic planning, and financial and marketing operations, Pat Barry has unique skills that will aid in maximizing the value of our financial organization," Tomer Ben Kiki, CEO, Oberon Media said. "He will help advance Oberon's unique and fast-growing market opportunity and bring our company to the next level." 

Barry has worked as a CFO for numerous digital companies. He's worked for Audible, Inc., and Warner Music's Music Enterprises and was most recently CFO and COO at Bluefly. 

"I am very excited to be part of the Oberon team," said Barry. "With a strong business model, powerful technology and a talented staff, Oberon's future is extremely bright."

Shanda Online - Xu Chaojun 

Chinese games operator Shanda Online announced recently that it hired Xu Chaojun. He will be the company's new Chief Operating Officer. 

"We are pleased to have Mr. Xu Chaojun join Shanda Online as Chief Operating Officer,” said CEO of Shanda Online Judy Wang. “Shanda Online is committed to provide premium services to its business partners and users. Mr. Xu's profound internet industry experience will help Shanda Online continue to strengthen its community features and enhance user experiences."

Chaojun helped founded Chinaren.com, which was acquired by Sohu.com in 2005, where he served in various positions including technology director. He moved on to be president of Oak Pacific Interactive from 2006 to 2009 and was in charge of Xiaonei.com which evolved into Renren.com, and became one of China's most influential SNS websites.

"I am excited to serve in this new role,” said Chaojun. “Shanda Online has been widely recognized in the industry as a leading service platform for interactive entertainment content. I look forward to working with Shanda Online' s excellent management team to provide comprehensive and integrated services to our users."

Power A - John Moore 

Game accessory maker Power A today announced that John Moore has been named Divisional Vice President of Product Development and Marketing. He worked for over two decades with Nintendo of America. The full story can be read here.

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