Big Fish Games today announced that Michael Vernon and Ian Hurlock-Jones have joined the company as chief financial officer and chief technology officer, respectively. Mr. Vernon brings to Big Fish Games proven financial leadership spanning a career that includes five years with NASDAQ-traded aQuantive, while Mr. Hurlock-Jones brings his experience of providing technology leadership as CIO of Fox Interactive Media and Buy.com. Mssrs. Vernon and Hurlock-Jones will report to Jeremy Lewis, Big Fish Games president and chief executive officer.
“Michael and Ian are both high-performance, proven leaders who fit superbly within our values-driven culture,” said Lewis. “I am delighted that we have the benefit of their stewardship in finance and technology, two areas critical to us as we build toward our vision. Ian’s experience in managing technology strategy and teams in a dynamic Internet media company will be invaluable as we adapt and scale. Similarly, Michael’s experience in corporate finance, acquisitions, investor communications and strategic development at rapid-growth companies will be tremendously helpful as we expand globally.”
During Mr. Vernon’s five years (2000-2006) with global digital-marketing company aQuantive, he helped guide the company to profitability and a multi-billion dollar market cap before the company was acquired by Microsoft in 2007 for $6 billion. More recently, Mr. Vernon served as CFO of Zumobi, Inc., a mobile phone technology startup. Mr. Vernon also served as CFO within the hotel industry, including NYSE-traded Red Lion Hotels and Park Plaza International. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to join Big Fish Games,” said Vernon. “The energy and strong entrepreneurial spirit I’ve observed among employees here is really wonderful. This is clearly a terrific global company that is carving out a strong position in a rapidly-growing industry. I’m thrilled to be part of the team that will pave the way for even greater successes in the future.”
Mr. Hurlock-Jones served as chief information officer at Fox Interactive Media, where he was responsible for IT operations relating to social media, gaming and image-hosting platforms, including IGN, Fox Sports, Photobucket and DPG. During his tenure at Buy.com, he scaled the infrastructure and technology to help grow the business from $126 million to $692 million, in two years. Mr. Hurlock-Jones holds an advanced diploma in management and economics from Guilford Technical College, Surrey.
“I am thrilled to be joining such a cutting-edge company,” said Hurlock-Jones. “I was attracted to Big Fish Games because of the balance of unfettered creativity and thoughtful business leadership. I’m looking forward to being a part of a leadership team that understands and values technology. The camaraderie of the employees, the culture and solid reputation were key factors in my joining Big Fish Games.”
About Big Fish Games
Founded in 2002, Big Fish Games is a multi-platform developer and distributor of casual games, including downloadable, social, MMO, console and mobile games. Renowned for offering A New Game Every Day!®, Big Fish Games distributes 1.5 million games per day worldwide. With headquarters in Seattle, Wash., and offices in Vancouver, B.C., and Cork, Ireland, Big Fish Games partners with 500+ game developers and develops and publishes some of the industry’s leading brands, including Mystery Case Files®, Hidden Expedition®, DRAWN™, Fairway Solitaire, MY TRIBE™ and FAUNASPHERE™. For more information, visit www.bigfishgames.com .