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Draft:Amir Satvat

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Amir Satvat is an American business executive who has been a business development director at Tencent Games since 2023.[1][2] He is known for his volunteer efforts in helping jobseekers and laid-off workers find positions in the video game industry.[3]

His efforts in helping jobseekers began in November 2022 on his LinkedIn page, as a spreadsheet of video game job listings scraped from the web. This has since expanded to become Amir Satvat's Games Community, which he maintains with a group of volunteers. They now operate a wider network of 15 job-seeking resources and support across multiple platforms, which include job boards and mentorship programs.[1][2][3]

Background and education

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Satvat grew up in Farmington, Connecticut, where he continues to live with his family and work remotely from.[4] He graduated from the Loomis Chaffee School in 2000 and went on to receive a bachelor's degree in finance from Boston College.[5] Satvat spent five years in graduate school to pursue three master's degrees;[6] a degree in biotechnology from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Business Administration in healthcare administration from the Wharton School, and a Master of Public Administration in health policy from New York University.[5]

Professional career

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Having aspired to work on video games since the age of four, Satvat began applying for roles in the video game industry after graduating from college. While positions were available at the time, they were mostly based on the West Coast, and Satvat was not willing to leave his family and friends in the New England area, which he has described as the "only thing that trumped games".[6]

While continuing to seek a career in video games, Satvat spent 15 years working in other fields, including as an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs, along with various business development, strategy and operations roles at Dell EMC, VMware, and Veeam.[6] He joined Amazon Inc. in 2019 as a chief operating officer in their Amazon Web Services cloud sales center.[4] A year later, Satvat landed his first role in the game industry, after transferring into Prime Gaming as a business development lead. He later became a principal publishing producer with Amazon Games' Montreal studio.[1][6][7] In August 2023, he left Amazon to join Tencent Games as a business development director.[8]

Recognition

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In December 2024, Satvat was honored with the inaugural Game Changer Award at The Game Awards, a new accolade introduced to recognize individuals who have had a positive impact on the games industry.[9] During the ceremony, Satvat received a standing ovation for his emotional acceptance speech, which many considered the highlight of the event. His heartfelt address emphasized the importance of supporting individuals behind the games and called for collective efforts to improve the industry.[10]

The introduction of the Game Changer Award was seen as a significant acknowledgment of Satvat's contributions, with commentators noting that the award was created specifically to honor his impact on the gaming community.[9][11] The award recognized Satvat’s extensive efforts in helping jobseekers and promoting community-driven initiatives within the video game industry.[10]

Impact

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Satvat's initiatives have not only assisted thousands in securing employment within the gaming sector but have also provided novel data and analytics on the industry's dynamics.[1][3] His comprehensive resources have offered insights into job market trends, hiring practices, and the overall health of the gaming industry, aiding both job seekers and employers.[1][3]

Amir's community's recognition at The Game Awards has been hailed as a transformative moment for the industry, with many calling it the emotional centerpiece of the ceremony and a historic milestone in highlighting the human element behind game development.[2][11] Satvat’s speech not only inspired the audience but also set a precedent for acknowledging the individuals who drive the creative and operational success of the industry.[10] By honoring his contributions, the award underscored the growing recognition of community-driven initiatives as an integral part of the games industry’s evolution.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Rousseau, Jeffrey (May 9, 2024). "Meet Amir Satvat, the man leading efforts to find laid-off developers new jobs". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
  2. ^ a b c Escribano, Javier (2024-12-13). "Who is Amir Satvat, first Game Changer recipient at The Game Awards". Gamereactor UK. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
  3. ^ a b c d D'Anastasio, Cecilia (2024-09-12). "Data Cruncher Moonlights as Headhunter for Video-Game Workers". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
  4. ^ a b Takahashi, Dean (2023-08-18). "How one man found game jobs for at least 450 people in the downturn". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  5. ^ a b Rugen, James S., ed. (2013-08-09). "Alumni News". Loomis Chaffee (Summer 2013 ed.). p. 57. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  6. ^ a b c d "Q&A with Amir Satvat, publishing producer for Amazon Games". Amazon Games. 2022-06-23. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  7. ^ Takahashi, Dean (2024-11-05). "For game job seekers, the search often leads outside of gaming". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
  8. ^ Nightingale, Ed (2024-12-18). "The Game Awards' first Game Changers recipient responds to "hateful" and "disturbing" comments accusing him of fraud". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
  9. ^ a b Escribano, Javier (2024-12-13). "Who is Amir Satvat, first Game Changer recipient at The Game Awards". Gamereactor UK. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  10. ^ a b c d "Highlight of The Game Awards: Amir Satvat's Impactful Speech". TheGamer. December 15, 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  11. ^ a b "The Game Awards 2024 present their first-ever Game Changer Award". MeriStation. December 14, 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
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