Melissa Phillips

Melissa Phillips is an Executive Coach and Leadership Psychologist having accumulated 9 years of industry experience at the senior management level.

Melissa's professional journey encompasses significant contribution across diverse sectors within the Games Industry. She has worked as Head of Studio, Operations Director and Consultant across of a number of different Game Studios and Organisations.

She held the position of Games Programme Manager at BAFTA Games, where she facilitated the establishment and operation of the BAFTA Crew Games Programme. This initiative catered to individuals with 2-4 years of industry experience, fostering skill enhancement, networking opportunities, and career advancement. Under her guidance, this endeavor rapidly flourished into a vibrant community with a strong sense of identity.

During her tenure at BAFTA, Melissa spearheaded the revival of the BAFTA Young Game Designers Competition, an event tailored for individuals aged 10-18 to pitch their Game ideas and prototypes to the industry. Notably, she engineered an educational card-based game aimed at instructing schools and clubs in game design for children. This educational tool evolved into a professionally produced physical product distributed by BAFTA Games, serving as a valuable educational resource.

Subsequently, Melissa founded her own Community Interest Company (CiC), known as the Games Leadership Network (www.gamesleadership.com) a non-profit venture, designed to provide coaching support and community to both established and emerging leaders within the Game Industry. At the same time, Melissa established the Games Leadership Academy (www.gamesleadershipacademy.com), an online training Academy dedicated to producing Leadership resources and training materials for the Games Industry.