Rawlinson resigns

UKIE director general Michael Rawlinson has resigned.

He has left the organisation to seek new challenges it was confirmed moments ago.

Rawlinson is expected to have left UKIE by the end of the week, and MCV has been told his departure from the group is amicable.

As the organisation now looks for his replacement, Sam Collins (commercial manager) and Dan Wood (PR manager and public affairs) will take over day-to-day running of UKIE.

UKIE chairman Andy Payne plus board members Matt Carroll (Disney), David Yarnton (Nintendo), Ian Livingstone (Eidos), and Geoff Heath will provide the guidance and support until a new head of UKIE is found.

Rawlinson’s departure marks the end of an era for the organisation. He is acclaimed for his work on topics such as age ratings and building relations with government, and recently oversaw the rebranding of the body from ELSPA to UKIE.

He leaves after a hugely successful spell at UKIE – prior to two years as director general he held roles such as secretary and deputy DG, working with previous chiefs Roger Bennett and Paul Jackson.

MCV understands that Rawlinson is unlikely to take a new role in games, but may look to positions where he can apply his skills in government relations in one of the many converging entertainment and technology markets.

Chairman of UKIE, Andy Payne said: "Michael has been a loyal servant of UKIE for over ten years and has led the organisation as director general for the last two years.

"The board of UKIE would like to thank Michael onbehalf of the members and the wider industry in general, for all the hard work thathe has put in on our behalf particularly with the Government.

"Michael was a keymember of the team that created the first pan-European age rating content classification system (PEGI) and worked to ensure that this was legally adopted for the UK as the sole system of classification for computer and video games. We recognise that Michael wants to seek fresh challenges and wish him the very best with his next challenge."