“The next generation of gaming is here”

Sonia Sedler, COO of Keywords Studios, has always prided herself on challenging the status quo and reimagining ways of working in order to develop innovative solutions that not only deliver customer and shareholder value but also address broader industry and community issues. When Sonia first joined Keywords, she was aware of the company's unique and unparalleled position as the go-to source of technical and creative solutions for the world's largest game publishers and developers.

Sedler has held numerous leadership positions throughout the course of her 20-year career, the most recent of which was as the worldwide head of managed services and banking initiatives at Diebold Nixdorf. She previously worked for Sutherland Global Services as the managing director for EMEA. Sedler, on the other hand, has worked as a managing director for Accenture and as vice president of European banking for HCL.

Keywords Studios strives to develop world-class capabilities in services for game developers and other interactive content providers. Keywords Studios works side by side with their clients as external development partners, providing access to keyword teams of professionals as and when needed. Art Services, Game Development, Audio Services, Functionality QA, Localization, Localization QA, and Player Support are the seven service lines where keywords have breadth and depth nowadays.

“The designer's real goal is to enrich the immersive customer experience. That goal is harder to achieve, and it's damned difficult to measure. But it's the truth. And pursuing that truth makes your designs smaller, simpler, more focused, and more elegant than they could ever get by strategy counting.”

One of the key reasons Sedler was drawn to Keywords was because she understood that the company's worldwide breadth and scale had been important in enabling them to present a distinctive solution to their client. Sonia has been able to use her experience with global multi-service operating models, right- shoring centres of excellence and strategic client partnerships to build on Keywords' excellent performance and construct a stable and sustainable platform for the future since joining the company in January of this year. She is a strong proponent of extended eco-systems, in which companies build value systems that extend beyond their studios and service lines to include both suppliers and customers, resulting in a seamless chain of activity and value that is focused on delivering the best possible gaming experience to the end-user.

Sonia Sedler says, "I was initially intrigued by the enthusiasm and creative genius of the people when I started professional interaction with the media, entertainment, and games business over a decade ago." I was particularly motivated by the unique manner that games can connect people from all walks of life together, as well as the unlimited chances that this provided to assist people all around the world. My experience of technology as an enabler and a source of competitive advantage has enabled us to expand Keywords into new service lines, delivering through revised operational models and entering new markets. We can establish the optimal platform for our full-service offering by having the market profile to attract and retain the greatest talent from across the world and enabling our enthusiastic and motivated teams to collaborate effectively.

Keywords Studios enables premier content creators and publishers to leverage its experience and capacity across the lifespan of interactive content by serving as their external development partner. As a result, Keywords Studios helps its clients that work in complicated and fast-paced situations stay lean and agile while focusing on producing and monetizing the most engaging experiences. Keywords Studios' main value add to consumers is being involved earlier in the development cycle, therefore the company is constantly scanning the market, seeing up-and-coming talent, and looking for new acquisitions that can improve its offering.

Sonia Sedler says, "We have recently formed our ESG program, which I am incredibly passionate about, and we have recently started the ambassador program with Women In Games in response to the gender gap in the games workforce today." I'm ecstatic to have this chance to be a part of the solution and to contribute to the creation of a better planet for the future. Sonia Sedler’s operational excellence across an international footprint and in delivering best-in-class business-critical services to global clients gained from within world-class organizations made her the outstanding COO of the year. IEWL