Video Game Industry Advisor for LAScholars.com
Greater Los Angeles Area
- Current
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- Video Game Industry Advisor at LA Scholars
- Past
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- Advisory Board at GamesBeat2009 Conference
- Managing Director at GCube
- Vice President, Operations-Product Development at THQ
10 more...
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Shiraz Akmal’s Summary
All Video Game, Media, Entertainment, Services and Technology related companies in Los Angeles- please signup to host summer interns free of charge -- while supporting the future growth of your local community. Goto www.LAScholars.com.
Shiraz is involved with advisory, strategic development, consultation and venture business opportunities related to the video game and interactive entertainment industry.
Previously, Shiraz co-founded GCube in 2008. GCube is an investment firm focused on the interactive entertainment industry, where he developed/launched the firms investment strategy.
While VP at THQ, he managed more than 500 staff who comprised the central divisions of THQ's product development organization including: the outsourcing division (XDG), Motion Capture, Quality Assurance, Localization, Customer Service, Music, Engineering and Voice and Sound.
In his role as founder of THQ XDG, his team has been instrumental in streamlining and growing the company's global product development capabilities through outsourcing and expanding THQ’s footprint into Asia, most notably spearheading the establishment and build out of THQ's China headquarters in Shanghai.
With more than six years as an executive director and a founding member of THQ's Heavy Iron Studios, Shiraz brings 20 years of creative, technical, and operational experience to his endeavors.
Shiraz's career highlights include directing a string of multi million selling video game titles including Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, and Scooby-Doo! He was also involved in programming several genre-defining products such as, You Don't Know Jack, The Netshow and the After Dark screen saver. Additionally, his first videogame was published at age 17.
Email or connect with Shiraz at: shirazakmal@gmail.com
Shiraz Akmal’s Specialties:
Investment • Business Development • Global Product Development. Cross Platform, Multi-Sku Development, Licensor Mngt, Growth Planning • Workflow analysis/improvements • Software Architecture • Problem Solving • Video Game Director • Studio Building • Management of multiple product development teams • Strategic Outsourcing • Evolve and Innovate game development and production processes • Public Speaking
Shiraz Akmal’s Experience
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Video Game Industry Advisor
LA Scholars
(Computer Games industry)
June 2009 — Present (2 months)
LA Scholars a summer young adult employment program that prepares local college students in Los Angeles for highly coveted jobs in the video game industry. The program supports students that live just a few miles from some of the biggest video game companies in the world get their foot in the door.
With support from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009, this program supports young adults from some of Los Angeles’ most underserved neighborhoods, namely South LA, find summer employment in an industry they previously could only have dreamed about joining.
LA Scholars is currently recruiting video game companies to get involved and host summer interns. The program is at NO COST to the employer and provides an opportunity to companies to prepare and test out their future potential workforce while investing in the people that live in their local communities in a potentially life changing way.
Shiraz Akmal’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- job inquiries
- expertise requests
- business deals
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
