[Industry news] Steel City Interactive announces three senior hires

They join Steel City Interactive’s award-winning Undisputed team as the studio continues to scale its operations and advance its long-term vision of becoming the sports combat market leader, setting the benchmark for authenticity, artistry, and evolution in interactive sports.

“We welcome the arrival of Glen, James, and Shaun, marking the next step in Steel City Interactive’s journey to become the market leader in the digital sports combat sector,” said Tim Coupe, VP of Studio at Steel City Interactive. “Their combined experience, honed through years of working at the highest levels of entertainment, sport, and interactive media, will play a vital role in helping us deliver the ultimate boxing experience for millions of fans around the world.”

Glen O’Connell is a proven leader across sports entertainment and video games, having held senior roles in talent relations, licensing, and commercial marketing. At EA SPORTS, he led athlete, talent, and rights-holder partnerships across the portfolio. He has managed sports activations with leading global brands and licensees, including PlayStation, Xbox, SEGA, Nike, Coca-Cola, Hyundai, EE, and Fanatics. He also secured commercial rights partnerships for multiple elite athletes, including Wayne Rooney, and undefeated former boxing world champion Joe Calzaghe CBE.

James Shaw is a senior director with extensive experience building and scaling global sports and entertainment platforms. Most recently, he led sports platforms across the EA SPORTS portfolio, including the EA SPORTS App and EA Racenet, driving connected, player-centric ecosystems that increased engagement and long-term franchise value. Earlier in his career, he developed innovative customer propositions in banking at Barclays that combined sport, entertainment, and payments, further strengthening brand and community engagement.

Shaun White has spent many years in global sports entertainment communications roles, primarily at EA SPORTS across its full portfolio and Codemasters on the F1® series. He has led the creation of authentic global and local campaigns featuring some of the biggest names in sports, music, and entertainment. His boxing-focused work includes initiatives with the late Ricky Hatton MBE, Carl Froch, and Fight Night Champion cover star David Haye.

Keep up-to-date with the latest news and information by visiting the Steel City Interactive website. Players can keep informed on Undisputed by following us on X, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
About Steel City Interactive

Founded in Sheffield (2020) by Ash Habib and his brothers Asif and Asad, Steel City Interactive (SCI) is the studio behind Undisputed, the first major boxing video game released in over a decade. Created for boxing and gaming communities alike, the studio is home to a passionate team that loves the sport, working together to deliver an authentic experience that brings the world of boxing to life like never before. For more information, visit steelcityinteractive.co.uk.