Our people

Steve was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer in September 2023. Steve joined the Group from Iris Worldwide Holdings Limited (“Iris”), a global integrated marketing agency specialising in brand and digital marketing strategy. Steve amassed extensive digital marketing expertise at Iris, having held numerous senior leadership roles since co-founding Iris in 1999, including the role of Global Group Chief Executive since 2021. Steve managed over 1000 employees in 14 offices around the world, and oversaw Iris’ work with some of the biggest, most creatively driven and technologically advanced global brands, and was instrumental in developing and delivering Iris’ commercial and M&A strategies. Prior to co-founding Iris, Steve worked for the advertising and retail agency Arc Worldwide, spending over five years working across a number of high-profile integrated accounts.

Rashid joined the Board in October 2024. Rashid is an experienced Chief Financial Officer with significant video games, M&A and capital markets experience. He joins everplay group plc from Jagex, a developer and publisher of role-playing and online living games, including the iconic RuneScape franchise, where he held the role of Chief Financial Officer since August 2021. During his tenure he helped deliver considerable organic growth and several successful acquisitions. In May 2024, Rashid was instrumental in the sale of Jagex to CVC Capital Partners and Haveli Investments.

Prior to Jagex, Rashid was Chief Financial Officer at Codemasters, the award-winning British video game developer and publisher specialising in high-quality racing games. Rashid joined Codemasters in 2012 as Vice President of Finance, before being appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2015. In 2018 he was an integral part of the team that oversaw Codemasters’ £280 million listing on the London Stock Exchange and in 2021 led the sale of the business to Electronic Arts Inc. for $1.2 billion.

Julia Pfiffer has been the Co-CEO of astragon Entertainment since 2017. She leverages over 20 years of professional experience in the gaming industry. Since early 2022, Pfiffer has also contributed to the broader industry landscape as Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of the German Games Industry Association (game).

Prior to her current role, she was Head of Sales & Marketing and Deputy Managing Director at astragon Entertainment from 2015 to 2016, having previously worked the same positions at astragon Sales & Services. Earlier in her career, she worked as Sales Manager at astragon Sales & Services and spent six years as Label and Sales Manager at Koch Media.

Tim Schmitz has held the position of Co-CEO of astragon Entertainment since 2017. He joined astragon in 2012 as a Sales Manager, subsequently advancing to Head of Marketing and Sales and Deputy Managing Director. From 2015 to 2016, he held the position of Head of Product while continuing his responsibilities as Deputy Managing Director. Before he joined astragon, Schmitz worked as a Sales Controller at New Planet Group Distribution.

Emmet O'Neill is the CEO of StoryToys - A multi-award winning developer and publisher of apps and games for children. StoryToys have produced apps with many leading children’s brands including The LEGO Group, The Walt Disney Company, Marvel Entertainment, Mattel, Hasbro, Penguin Random House, Warner/DC, Nickelodeon and Sesame Workshop.

With over 250M app downloads, StoryToys has received every major industry award and has enjoyed global success on all major app distribution platforms.

With a career in digital product design that spans over 25 years, Emmet has worked across a broad spectrum of industries including publishing, advertising and film /TV. He specialises in leading highly creative teams and content oriented businesses.

Before joining StoryToys, Emmet was director of creative & interactive design for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where he produced dozens of ed tech products, apps and games including Curious George at the Zoo, Curious about Shapes & Colors and Carmen Sandiego.

Parisa Foster is an experienced leader in the mobile and digital content industry. Before joining StoryToys, she served as VP of Marketing & Business Development at Budge Studios, driving strategic growth and building key partnerships.

She also co-founded Play The Future, a mobile prediction game, and worked as an advisor and consultant for various clients.

Earlier in her career, Parisa led the digital transformation of the Just For Laughs comedy festival, joined the first Mobile & API team at Yellow Pages Group, and began her journey at Airborne Mobile, one of Canada’s pioneering mobile startups.

Ann Hurley joined the company in June 2023 and brings a wealth of experience from her many years in the games industry. Specialising in business development, as well as the coaching and management of people, Ann has held senior positions within publishing roles for several key publishers. Notably, she was an integral leader in the successful launch of the first Worms game in 1995. Ann’s career later transitioned into the QA sector, equipping her with a comprehensive understanding of the gaming industry’s diverse aspects. This all-around experience has proven invaluable in her role as General Manager. A strong advocate for team building and a passionate ambassador for Women in Games, Ann is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment within the industry.