BEN HEAVENS

LEADER | GAMING | PROGRAM | PRODUCTION | GAMEDEV LIFECYCLE | RESEARCH
contact@benheavens.com

ABOUT

17 years experience in global team leadership, program/production and technology, of which 5 years in gaming with AAA, AA and indie experience, working with teams on some of the world’s largest multiplayer and F2P battle royale games

EXPERIENCE

Head of Scaling Programs, Technical Programs & Production
Unity Technologies

  • Led a team of internal technical producers. Programs & bodies of work included:
    • Unity Engine (mostly confidential/NDA protected projects)
    • Internal productions
    • Scaling planning and delivery programs for entire organization (1200 employees)
  • Leadership operations (OKR setting, strategy planning, budgeting, asset planning, delivery and execution)
  • Extensive collaboration and influencing with Director/VP/SVP level leadership to ensure critical deadlines were met and blockers to execution were managed effectively

APRIL 2022 - PRESENT
REMOTE, UK

Head of Research and Industry Intelligence (Research Science)

  • Built customer/user research function from scratch, hiring 8 research scientists in 6 months
  • Studied and implemented core research methodologies into the team, including leading and running several critical research projects that resulted in product roadmap creation and directional change on several core products for game development and operations
  • Built and supported research operations, including research recruitment, research project management, OKRs, research workflows and more
  • Shipped 16 game development research projects in 6 months, impacting product roadmaps and product development, future product consideration (from games industry/market intelligence) and business strategy
  • Evangelizing and advocating the research success stories to leadership and key stakeholders to drive a research & data-led culture, always putting the user first and central in the story
  • Stood up collaborations with Academic Research Science labs inside Unity to collaborate with universities on critical research impacting the future of gaming

JUNE 2021 - APRIL 2022
REMOTE, UK

Gaming Services, Head of Success

  • Led, managed and grew a global team (US, EMEA, APAC) of external-facing producers/program managers from 8 to 20 people over 2 years
  • Supported the launches of numerous AAA, AA and indie games globally
  • Developed complex organisational structures necessary to expand the team and support the needs of users and the business
  • Built and implemented production processes, tooling and training to constantly improve execution, efficiency and knowledge within the team

JANUARY 2019 - JUNE 2021
SOUTHAMPTON, UK

Vice President, Global Head of Customer Success and Support
GlobalWebIndex

  • Regularly reviewing and analysing research and supporting the team in articulating and evangelising the research findings to broad audiences across a multitude of research and non-research functions
  • Responsible for growing the global team for both Customer Success and Support globally for gaming and other verticals, across international offices
  • Mapping out process from scratch, introducing new teams to an existing business model, ensuring high levels of success amongst my teams as well as collaborating and contributing to overall business success
  • Achieved and maintained market-leading NPS and satisfaction scores and market-leading retention and growth metrics (98% retention, 99% YoY growth)
  • Introduced multiple new systems, as well as adapting existing systems to ensure team and wider business had the tools to succeed
  • Wrote multiple “Playbooks” to guide the team and wider business on key approaches for both Customer Success and Customer Support

SEPTEMBER 2016 - JANUARY 2019
LONDON, UK

Customer Success Manager
Huddle

JUNE 2015 - SEPTEMBER 2016
LONDON, UK

Client Director (SME)
Telefonica O2 UK

DECEMBER 2013 - MARCH 2015
LONDON, UK

Account Development Manager (Enterprise Large Sales)
Vodafone UK

NOVEMBER 2012 - DECEMBER 2013
LONDON, UK



EDUCATION

BA (Hons) Sound and Music Production (Second Class Honours, Upper Division – 2.1)
University of Plymouth

SEPTEMBER 2007 - MAY 2008

Foundation Degree in Commercial Music
Platform One

SEPTEMBER 2005 - MAY 2007

BTec HNC – Music Performance
Platform One

SEPTEMBER 2005 - MAY 2006

A Levels
Cowes High School
Maths D
ICT C
Plus additional AS levels in Music and Social Studies

2004/2005



HOBBIES & INTERESTS

Deeply passionate about music; I play piano, guitar, bass guitar and sing, as well as compose. I also enjoy film and video games and have written scripts and produced and edited films. Socialising and fitness are also of high importance, having taken part in several sponsored runs and hikes.

Excellent references available on request