Dr Jo Twist to step down as Ukie CEO this summer

After more than 11 years leading Ukie, Dr Jo Twist has announced she’ll be relinquishing her role as CEO of the UK trade body. She is expected to join the record label trade organisation the BPI as its new CEO in July, as Geoff Taylor exits the role after a similarly lengthy period.

Until someone is found that can step into Twist’s shoes, Sam Collins and Dan Wood will share one apiece. Collins, previously Ukie’s Head of Commercial and Membership, is promoted to Chief Commercial Officer, while Wood, Ukie’s Strategic Project Lead, will be resuming a C-level role within the organisation.

“Jo will be a hard act to replace and follow but this is an exciting juncture for Ukie and the industry,” Tim Woodley, Chair of Ukie,  commented. “We obviously need to take time to find the right person to lead Ukie into the next stage of its journey. Thankfully we are afforded the time to do this due to the high calibre of the Ukie Senior Management Team and the entirety of the Ukie staff which Jo has galvanised.” 

Twist has been a huge advocate for the UK games industry during her leadership of Ukie, seeing in the PEGI ratings system and helping to usher in much-needed tax relief for the sector, all while striving to increase diversity and change the working culture in which games are made.

George Osborn, who spent more than three years alongside Twist as Ukie’s Head of Comminucations, said on Twitter: “She’s been a fantastic champion of games, delivered major political wins for businesses and enormously strengthened the cultural argument around the medium.”