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Changes in Next Games’ management team

Published November 25, 2020

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NEXT GAMES CORPORATION, COMPANY RELEASE, 25 NOVEMBER  2020 AT 8.00 a.m EET

Next Games has appointed from within the organization Matias Ärje, Joonas Laakso and Yiannis Alexopoulos as new members to its Management Team.
Teemu Huuhtanen (CEO), Annina Salvén (CFO) and Saara Bergström (CMO) will continue in the management team in their respective roles.

The new members of the Management Team:

  • Matias Ärje, born 1976, student of technology, has been appointed as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and a member of the Management Team. Prior to his appointment, Ärje acted as Director of Technology.
  • Joonas Laakso, born 1978, BA (Arts, Media, Design Management), has been appointed as Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO) and a member of the Management Team. Laakso has worked in various positions at Next Games since 2015, prior to his appointment he acted as Director of Development.
  • Yiannis Alexopoulos, born 1983, MBA, LL.B., has been appointed as Chief Growth Officer (CGO) and a member of the Management Team. Alexopoulos has acted as Marketing Director since he joined Next Games in 2018.

Kalle Hiitola, previously CTO at Next Games, will focus on R&D and game development and assumes a new role as Head of New Games. He will continue in the management team.

Joonas Viitala, Chief Operating Officer will leave Next Games and pursue new opportunities outside the organization. His last day will be 7th of December.

“I am truly happy that we have these amazing talents inside the company who will step up to these positions and bring new ideas and views to the Management Team. Furthermore, Kalle has done an amazing job and will, no doubt, continue to do so in his new role. The new members of the Management Team have all been in key roles in the development of Next Games and our profitability turnaround, and the changes support our strategic goals. I would also like to thank Joonas Viitala for his work and wish him all the best with his new adventures,” says Teemu Huuhtanen, CEO of Next Games.

The above changes will be effective immediately. All the members of the Management Team report to the CEO.

Composition of Next Games’ Management Team as of November, 2020:

  •        Teemu Huuhtanen, Chief Executive Officer
  •        Annina Salvén, Chief Finance Officer
  •        Saara Bergström, Chief Marketing Officer
  •        Matias Ärje, Chief Technology Officer
  •        Joonas Laakso, Chief People and Culture Officer
  •        Yiannis Alexopoulos, Chief Growth Officer
  •        Kalle Hiitola, Head of New Games


Additional information:
Annina Salvén
CFO
+358 (0) 40 588 3167
investors@nextgames.com

Certified Adviser: Danske Bank A/S, Finland branch, tel. +358 10 546 7938

About Next Games
Next Games (Helsinki Nasdaq First North: NXTGMS) is the first publicly listed mobile game developer and publisher in Finland, specializing in games based on entertainment franchises, such as movies, TV series or books. The developers of the critically acclaimed The Walking Dead games redefines the way franchise entertainment transforms into highly engaging service-based mobile games. Currently Next Games is working on multiple new games based on popular entertainment franchises including, Blade Runner Rogue, for the popular Blade Runner franchise and a mobile game based on Netflix’s Stranger Things. For more information head to www.nextgames.com