We’re here to lead global games investment and growth by empowering people
Driving
Growth
Creating
Opportunities
Empowering
Partners
Driving Growth
Savvy Games Group’s acquisitions, investments and businesses are aimed at driving the long-term growth and development of the games and esports industry globally.
Creating Opportunities
Savvy Games Group is committed to expanding the positive benefits of games and is dedicated to creating more opportunities for participation and progression, across gender, geography, means and ability.
Empowering Partners
Savvy Games Group’s investments are made to build and strengthen the core competencies of its partners, enabling these companies to focus on improving the user experience across their products and services.
About Savvy
Games Group
Savvy Games Group is a games and esports company formed with a mission to drive the long-term growth and development of esports and the broader games industry worldwide.
The games industry is one of the most exciting and buoyant sectors globally, with games the world’s fastest-growing form of entertainment and esports the world’s fastest-growing sport.
Through games, we see people of all backgrounds, ages, nationalities, genders and abilities connect, play, learn, compete and triumph together.
We believe that games and esports are fast becoming key enablers for better entertainment, health, and education. We want to create and support more opportunities for people to benefit from and progress within the industry.
Our company is dedicated to driving the sector’s growth globally, leading global games investment, enabling more game developers and technology innovators and facilitating broader, more equitable access to this fast-growing, dynamic sector.
Savvy Games Group exists to: lead global games investment and growth by empowering people.
Featured Videos
Savvy’s executive leadership team share the business vision and progress
Savvy Games Group completes acquisition of Scopely
How we work
Savvy Games aims to be one of the most active and prolific investors in the games industry – using significant capital to play a leading role in the long-term growth and development of the sector.
Savvy Games will make commercially-driven acquisitions designed to build and strengthen its partners’ core competencies, enabling these companies to focus on improving the user experience across their products and services.
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Our People
Brian Ward
Group CEO
Brian is CEO of Savvy Games Group, the Riyadh-based games and esports company with a mission to lead investment and long-term growth of the industry. Under his leadership, in less than three years, Savvy has become the world’s largest esports company and one of the largest games publishers, with 3500 employees in 22 countries, including several award-winning teams and intellectual properties.
Brian has nearly 30 years of studio and operations experience, including leadership positions at Electronic Arts, Microsoft, and Activision Blizzard. While leading worldwide studios at Activision, he managed all development and more than a dozen studio acquisitions – tripling capacity, quadrupling revenue, and posting industry-leading margins. Games he helped lead have won more than 300 Game of The Year and 1400 Editor’s Choice and Outstanding Achievement awards, and include six #1 entertainment franchises, with lifetime revenues of more than $35 billion.
Brian is a board member of Embracer Group AB, an international games and entertainment group, in which Savvy Games Group is an investor.
Jesse Meschuk
Group COO
Jesse has over 20 years of extensive experience in the games industry, where he has held senior leadership roles in highly respected organizations. He previously served as the Senior Vice President at Activision Blizzard, leading various aspects of the company’s human resources and overall operations. He spent significant time at both Activision Publishing and at Blizzard Entertainment, working with multiple development teams, global publishing teams, and international operations. Jesse has deep industry experience in M&A, organizational effectiveness and transformation, strategy, and operations, in addition to his expertise in the talent space.
Saleh Alfadhel
Chief Financial Officer, Savvy Games Group
Saleh Alfadhel is a seasoned financial expert renowned for his extensive background in finance and accounting. Formerly the Group Chief Financial Officer at Saudia, one of the largest airlines in the Middle East, Saleh brings a wealth of experience to his role. He has a remarkable track record serving on various boards and audit committees, including Riyadh Airports, Flyadeal, and AXA insurance, which further solidifies his reputation as a financial leader. Saleh now spearheads the financial strategy and operations of Savvy Games Group. As an integral member of the Executive Leadership Team, he plays a pivotal role in driving our growth, profitability and success.
Feras Houhou
General Counsel, Savvy Games Group
Feras Houhou is a seasoned legal professional with a distinguished career spanning over 16 years in the capital markets industry. Prior to joining Savvy, he served as the Chief Legal and Governance Officer and Board Secretary at SNB Capital Company. During his tenure, Feras oversaw critical legal functions and governance affairs, and provided advice on major cross-border financial transactions.
As General Counsel, Feras is responsible for five key control and advisory functions, including legal affairs, risk management, compliance, governance, and board affairs. Feras is a graduate of both Georgetown Law School, holding an LLM in Securities and Financial Regulations, and Harvard Business School, where he attended the General Management Program.
Majed Al-Muhanna
Chief Human Resources Officer
Majed has wide-ranging experience of human resources leadership roles at major financial and consumer-facing organisations across the investment banking, retail, and manufacturing sectors. He was previously Chief Human Capital Officer of SNB Capital, where he was a member of the organisation’s leadership team and drove its human capital strategy. In addition to his role at Savvy, Majed currently serves as Chair of the Human Resources Committee of the Capital Market Institutions Committee, which supports the development of the capital market sector in Saudi Arabia.
Majed is responsible for Savvy’s human resources strategy, including overseeing talent development and attraction of both local and international games specialists.
Nick Archer
Senior Vice President and Head of Group Communications, Savvy Games Group
Nick Archer has over 30 years’ experience in corporate communications and public relations. Prior to joining Savvy he served as the interim Vice President, Corporate Communications at MBCC Group for a year. Before that, he was acting Chief Communications Officer at Rio Tinto plc, where he oversaw media, employee, government, crisis, digital, and executive communications. Nick previously worked at Suzlon Group, and Edelman. He has lived in the UK, USA, India, Mongolia, and the Netherlands.
Nick oversees Savvy Games Group’s global communications team and strategy.
David Phipps
Chief Internal Audit Officer, Savvy Games Group
David Phipps has an extensive background in internal audit and risk management, having held key leadership positions in prestigious organizations across multiple jurisdictions. His career spans almost 30 years, with notable experiences in overseas markets, including New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the Gulf region. Prior to joining Savvy, David served as the Internal Audit Director at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), where he successfully led the setup of the Internal Audit function, as well as other critical risk management activities.
Amr Sager
Chief of Staff
Amr Sager has an extensive background in strategy execution, finance, and board management, with over 20 years of experience spanning various sectors. He has held critical leadership roles in companies such as Al Rajhi Bank, Catrion (formerly Saudi Airlines Catering Company), Dar Alarkan, and Shaker Group. Notably, he has led transformation, change management, business planning, and investor relations functions, contributing to the success of these organisations. In his role as Chief of Staff at Savvy, Amr leads on execution and transformation, bringing people together across the business to deliver Savvy’s strategy.
