Dr Gina Jackson OBE
Skillfull
Dr Gina Jackson OBE is the founder of Skillfull. She has worked on around 300 games in both development and publishing roles from SNES through to PS5. She now supports developers and publishers as a consultant/coach, develops and delivers training for career changers and new entrants and is working on a UK Skills report. She’s an activist for change across skills, diversity and mental health in the games industry to create the best conditions for sustainable growth.
Dr Gina Jackson OBE is speaking at the following session/s
No More Boom and Bust: How to Empower Inclusive, Sustainable Businesses
The games industry has faced a rough climate over the last year with layoffs, downsizing in resources and more matters arising which has created a lot of uncertainty across the sector and giving people doubts about the future.
One of the biggest causes for the current industry landscape could be attested to the boom and bust nature of game businesses, where projects are driven to the point of achieving a period of great prosperity or rapid economic growth yet most don't get to release due to hazardous development cycles, lack of investment or businesses stepping back from Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) efforts needed to empower employees. While those that do go gold don't often consider what's needed to keep the company and talent within business uplifted in the long run, but rather focus on what's the next project or how can we milk the content we got for as long as possible; which only puts them closer to failing next time. This is not to say every company aligns strictly with this approach because there are clearly some companies that keep the business in check, take care of their people, and overall growth in different pockets of the industry.
With this in mind, what do we need to do differently to survive and thrive?
This roundtable asks and looks to facilitate discussion around the questions:
- Within this precarious market, are project focused methodologies and short-term savings costing us greatly in the long run, and are we missing out on opportunities to attract critical talent and vital investment into our businesses by discounting inclusive working and suitable business practices?
- What is the cost for companies who opt not to invest in business sustainability and people-first mechanisms on all fronts?
- What does an inclusive, sustainable business look like?
Session Takeaway
- Prioritising business sustainability and embedding values of EDI as strategic components for a company; especially in periods of planning and analysis.
- The different ways in which overlooking, or down playing, the important of business sustainability and inclusive practices in the workplace, costs the company as a whole.
- The value of investing in people and businesses today. For a billion pound earning industry to become healthier, uplifting and more mature in the future.
Session speakers
