We returned to having a hybrid event, hosting a full house in Helsinki City Hall and our online audience!
Leadership Day by IGDA Finland
There were no dedicated games leadership conferences in Europe... so we decided to make one! Leadership Day by IGDA Finland is an international event about how we build companies, teams and working cultures to build better games. We held the inaugural conference in 2019 and with the support of the community, aim to make it an annual forum for leadership in games.
#cultureofsharing
Games companies, their inner workings and cultures are some of the least documented aspects of game development. Yet we and our work are all defined by these choices every single day. Join us in learning and challenging the cutting edge of leadership in games from some of the brightest minds in the industry!
Less, but better
This one day event is designed around a thought provoking speaker track and ample room for networking with industry peers. We will of course organize an IGDA Mentorship Cafe to help you grow your professional network.
Like all things IGDA Finland, the conference is non-profit and made possible by our volunteers and partners.
Leadership Day 2023
This year’s event took place at BioRex in Helsinki on September 11, 2023.
As a 100% volunteer organization, IGDA Finland, is grateful to our sponsors, speakers and volunteers who made this event possible. It is always amazing to see the game community come together and share their experience, knowledge, excitement, passion, for games. Thank you!
Scroll down to watch the presentations and panel discussions from this and past years.
We’re already working on next year’s event. Sign up to get announcements for save the date, call for speakers, and ticket sign ups.
Schedule
Helsinki Time (EEST/UTC +03:00)
| Time | Stage | Presentation |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 09:45 | Signups / Coffee & Networking | |
| 09:45 - 10:00 | Opening Words | |
| 10:00 - 11:00 | Opening Keynote - Saara Bergström | The Company Janitor - Learnings from a Service-minded Leader |
| 11:00 - 12:00 | Jaakko Kylmäoja | How Compassionate Culture Drives a Game's Success |
| 12:00 - 13:30 | Lunch Break / Mentor Cafe | |
| 13:30 - 13:40 | Jani Kahrama | Pelimetsä Update |
| 13:40 - 14:30 | Wanda O Rly | The Art of Alignment - Stakeholder Management In Game Production |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Jinesha Gandhi | The EM of Leadership |
| 15:30 - 16:30 | Aki Kanerva | The Many Trials and Tribulations of the Virtual Air Guitar Company |
| 16:30 - 17:30 | Closing Keynote - Mika Tammenkoski | Building Successful Teams – How to Attract, Recruit & Retain Talent to Create a Thriving Organization |
| 17:30 - 18:00 | Closing Words | |
| 18:00 - 23:00 | IGDA Helsinki September Meetup at Maxine |
Speakers
Saara Bergström
Next Games / Netflix
The Company Janitor - Learnings from a Service-minded Leader
Mika Tammenkoski
Metacore
Building Successful Teams – How to Attract, Recruit & Retain Talent to Create a Thriving Organization
Jaakko Kylmäoja
Fingersoft
How Compassionate Culture Drives a Game's Success
Jinesha Gandhi
Redhill Games
The EM of Leadership
Wanda O Rly
Psyon Games
The Art of Alignment - Stakeholder Management In Game Production
Aki Kanerva
Virtual Air Guitar Company
The Many Trials and Tribulations of the Virtual Air Guitar Company
Venue
BioRex
Mannerheimintie 22-24, 00100 Helsinki
NOTE: Google Maps will give incorrect info about the location of the venue, The venue is in the building next to Forum and the entrance can be found facing the railway station.
The venue is for the most part accessible to everyone, however if you’re coming in a wheelchair, or otherwise have difficulties with stairs you can use an alternative entrance. Please contact us at leadership [at] igda.fi in advance so we can better assist you.
For more info on the accessibility of the venue check out the link below: Venue Accessibility.
Code of Conduct
IGDA Finland is committed to keeping our community safe for everyone and has
a zero-tolerance policy on harassment in any and all of its forms - please read our Code of Conduct.
Previous Events
Sponsors
This event wouldn’t be possible without help from our sponsors.
Volunteers
We’ve been making this event happen since 2019. We aim to make it better each year and there is more that needs doing. Drop us a line via firstname.lastname@igda.fi to join the fun!
