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Award-winning games industry executive, with over 14 years experience running and managing teams and projects.

About Me

ELLA ROMANOS

Since 2008 Ella has been helping build and manage games development teams and projects, having started out as a programmer and co-founding game development studio Remode as a graduate.

Prior to Fundamentally Games, Ella spent 6 years consulting with game developers, investment funds and games related organisations, and has a deep understanding of the resources, funding methods, processes and commercial considerations of taking games to market. She has been directly responsible for releasing over 50 games, and has acted as head of studio, executive producer and advisor for many organisations, most notably, Pinewood Film Advisors, Agatha Christie Ltd and Altara Games Fund.

Ella also acts as a mentor and has provided input into academia including undergraduate and masters courses across the UK, and writing content and exams for AQA exam board’s games courses. She has been twice mentioned as MCV’s UK Top 100 Women in Games, named in Develop’s ‘Top 30 under 30’ and has sat on the board of directors of UKIE, the UK trade body for games, for 5 years.

Experience

Fundamentally Games Ltd - Chief Operating Officer, 2019 - current
Fundamentally Games Ltd helps developers and organisations transform their games into services, working with you from concept to live ops. www.fundamentally.games

Ella Romanos Ltd - Director, 2014 - current
Consultancy for the games industry, focusing on game production, financing, strategy and operations.

Remode - CEO, 2008-2014
Remode was a game developer specialising in mobile, online and PC platforms. The studio had a team of 18 people, and undertook 35+ work for hire projects over 7 years, for clients including Sulake, Arkadium, Gamehouse and Spil Games. The studio was listed in Develop magazine's Top 100 UK Studios of 2013, and their work was recognised by Develop, MCV, Edge and The Guardian.

UKIE - Board Member & Chair of Developer Sub Group, 2013 - 2018
Ukie is the only trade body for the UK’s wider interactive entertainment industry. We exist to champion the interests, needs and positive image of the videogames and interactive entertainment industry who's companies make up our membership. The developer sub group represents the developer members of UKIE and ensures their views are represented within the organisation. https://ukie.org.uk

ExPlay Festival - Co-founder & Director, 2010 - 2014
ExPlay represented the independent games development and design industry across the South West of England and beyond. We held an annual conference that attracts leading speakers from the indie games circuit and support the growth of the industry through bespoke training programmes, business support and networking events throughout the year. ExPlay's goal was to build the bonds between games academia and games industry, helping students and graduates connect with industry by showcasing the best indie games companies to create opportunities for that new talent, whilst building communities through meet-ups and holding Game Jams.

Creative Skillset Computer Games Council - Council Member, 2013 - 2016
The Council advise and guide on all aspect of Creative Skillset's work in games, and is made up of representatives from industry and the relevant trade associations. skillset.org/games

BAFTA Career Pathways Girls into Games - Group Member, 2013 - 2015
BAFTA working groups address the issues raised in their Career Pathways report. In line with BAFTA’s mission to provide opportunities to learn first-hand from leading practitioners, the working groups give consideration to how industry professionals can be engaged to share their knowledge and experience with young people. bafta.org/games

TIGA - Board Member, 2012-2013
TIGA is a trade body representing the UK games industry. tiga.org

Freelancer - User Experience Designer & Web Developer, 2007-2008
During final year of university, worked for web development studios, consulting and designing websites and e-commerce systems. Also worked for variety of clients designing and building websites.

Specialmoves - User Experience Designer, 2006-2007
Placement year from university, working for London-based interactive production company. Check out specialmoves.com.

Education & Awards

MCV's UK Top 100 Women in Games & Businesswoman of the Year finalist, 2016
Featured in MCV here and here

Financing The Entrepreneurial Business, 2015
London Business School

MCV's UK Top 100 Women in Games, 2013
Featured in MCV Magazine

TIGA Awards Leadership Finalist, 2012
Featured inTIGA Awards 2012

Develop's 30 under 30, 2011
Listed in Develop magazine's (December 2011 edition) annual 30 under 30 feature designed to “bring attention to the youthful stars of today's game development sector who look to be destined for great things in the industry of tomorrow”. Read the feature online.

UK Top 30 Women under 30 in Digital, 2011
Featured in The Drum magazine (thedrum.co.uk), 30th Sept 2011 issue.

UK Women in Technology Awards, 2011
Finalist, 'Innovator of the Year' category
Find out more from the Develop article.


Level 5 Award in Management, 2010
Awarded by ILM - Institute of Leadership and Management.

Digital Art & Technology BSc (Hons) 1.1, 2008
Awarded from University of Plymouth i-DAT. Also awarded 'Being Digital' iDAT graduation prize and included in the 2007/2008 Dean's List.

Contact

E-mail: ella@ellaromanos.com
Phone: +44 (0) 7971 252433
Skype: ella_romanos