Tess Sanders-Smith Promoted to Studio Head at Maverick Media

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A video games creative agency has promoted a new Studio Head, taking leadership cross the UK and North America.

Maverick Media, part of Keywords Studios, has promoted former Head of Operations Tess Sanders-Smith to the position. She will take on responsibility for the leadership of the agency across the UK and North America; overseeing business strategy, steering commercial direction, and strengthening and building client relationships.

She will also work to drive integration and collaboration with other Keywords Studios.

As a founding member of Maverick Media’s current Senior Leadership Team, Sanders-Smith has played an instrumental role in strategic business growth, integration into Keywords Studios, and talent acquisition. Spearheading new ways of working and reorganising the team to enable rapid growth and efficiency, she was responsible for growing the creative department from six people to 22 in just 18 months.

She joined Maverick Media as Creative Operations Director in 2020 and was subsequently promoted to the position of Head of Operations in 2023.

It’s a huge honour to take on custodianship of such a well-established business, at such an exciting time for our industry
Tess Sanders-Smith

Prior to joining the agency, Sanders-Smith held a number of project management and production roles in organisations including The British Museum, Eproductive and Pattrn Studios.

Founded in 1995, Maverick Media is one of the world’s most experienced games marketing specialist agencies, with clients including Pokémon, Ubisoft, Bandai Namco, Frontier and Wooga, amongst others.

Tess will report to Tony Grigg, Managing Director of Engage, a group of dedicated marketing studios within Keywords Studios.

Tony Grigg, Managing Director, Engage, said: “Tess has been a driving force within Maverick Media’s Senior Leadership Team, contributing significantly to the evolution and success of the agency while facilitating collaboration throughout Keywords Studios.

“She knows Maverick inside out, and she is perfectly placed to take on this leadership role. I can’t wait to see her steer the agency into its next chapter.”

Tess Sanders-Smith, new Studio Head, Maverick Media, added: “It’s a huge honour to take on custodianship of such a well-established business, at such an exciting time for our industry.

“With unprecedented growth in areas like mobile and social gaming, alongside advancements in virtual production, we are in a great position to work with our clients to capitalise on a wealth of new opportunities.

“I’m looking forward to further leveraging my experience at Maverick Media to take the business to the next level, while fostering deeper collaboration with the diverse talents within Keywords Studios.”

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