Senior Management Team Update

RNS Number : 1859S

Keywords Studios PLC

15 March 2021

 

15 March 2021

Keywords Studios plc ("Keywords Studios", "Keywords", "the Group")

Senior Management Team Update

The Board of Keywords Studios today announces that it has agreed for Andrew Day, CEO, to take a temporary leave of absence from the business for health reasons, effective immediately.

Andrew is expected to return to his position following a period of recovery and he will remain a member of the Board of Directors.

During the interim period, Jon Hauck and Sonia Sedler have been appointed as joint interim CEOs by the Board and will assume Andrew's duties, alongside their existing roles. Jon has become a key member of the senior team driving the Group's strategic development since he joined in 2019 as CFO and Sonia Sedler was appointed as COO earlier in 2021 to take responsibility for the day to day operational running of the business. Jon and Sonia will be well supported by the Group's strong service line and regional management team and by the wider Board. 

The Company expects to release its results for the year ended 31 December 2020 as scheduled, on 24 March 2021. These results will be in line with the trading update issued on 28 January 2021.

Ross Graham, Chairman of Keywords Studios, commented:

"The Board fully supports Andrew's request to take leave to focus on his health and wishes him a complete recovery.

"Andrew has been a significant driver of building Keywords into the 'go to' global video games services platform over the last twelve years, and we look forward to welcoming him back when he has fully recovered. However, the Board has full confidence in the excellent leadership team that Andrew has built throughout the business. The broader senior team are well equipped to continue to both drive the Company's strategy forward and manage the Group's day-to-day operations, under the direction of Jon and Sonia.

"The Group remains well placed, with a strong market position in the buoyant video games market and a strong balance sheet, as we continue to actively review a healthy pipeline of acquisition opportunities."   

Andrew Day, CEO of Keywords Studios, commented:

" Many thanks to the Board for granting me a leave of absence to focus on my health. I'm proud of the business that we are building together and of my wonderful Keywords colleagues around the world, all of whom I'm confident will do a great job of continuing to serve our customers and execute on the Group's strategy during my absence ."

For further information, please contact:

Keywords Studios  (www.keywordsstudios.com)   Joseph Quinn, Investor Relations	[phone] Mobile: [phone]
Numis Securities   Stuart Skinner/Kevin Cruickshank/Will Baunton	[phone]
MHP Communications (Financial PR)   Katie Hunt/James Midmer/Charles Hirst	[phone] [e-mail]

About Keywords Studios ( www.keywordsstudios.com )

Keywords Studios is an international technical services provider to the global video games industry. Established in 1998, and now with over 65 facilities in 21 countries strategically located in Asia, the Americas and Europe, it provides integrated art creation, marketing services, software engineering, testing, localization, audio and customer care services across more than 50 languages and 16 games platforms to a blue-chip client base of over 950 clients across the globe.

Keywords Studios has a strong market position, providing services to 23 of the top 25 most prominent games companies, including Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, Bethesda, Electronic Arts, Konami, Microsoft, Riot Games, Square Enix, Supercell, TakeTwo, Epic Games and Ubisoft. Recent titles worked on include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Anthem, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Valorant, League of Legends, Fortnite, Clash Royale and Doom Eternal. Keywords Studios is listed on AIM, the London Stock Exchange regulated market (KWS.L).

 

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