Meet our Team Members - Today: Erik from Live Operations

Would you like to get to know some of the people behind our games? Our "Meet our Team Members" posts will introduce you to one of our GameDuell team members. This week we would like to introduce you to Erik, our Vice President of Product and Operations. With over 15 years of experience in the games industry, he surely has a lot to tell us!

“Hey Erik! Could you briefly introduce yourself? Where are you from?”

I originally hail from The Netherlands, but before my move to Germany, I lived in San Francisco and India. However, I have collaborated with people, teams and companies from all over the world.

Erik now lives in Berlin and works with us at GameDuell. He is responsible for the development and running of our live products. But what exactly does that mean, you ask?

“What is your role here at GameDuell?”My role currently is Vice President (VP) of Product and Operations, which, in so many words, makes me responsible for our product strategy and operational excellence. In alignment with the larger GameDuell team, I provide direction and strategy for the game development, platform and operations teams. In addition, one of my main contributions is dealing with everything and anything that could disrupt or otherwise impede the work of our highly skilled teams, so that each individual can focus on what they can do best!

Vice President – sounds like a lot of responsibility! You would imagine that he has no time to spare. On the contrary, Erik is always in a good mood and always has the time for a small chat. Maybe the atmosphere at work has something to do with it? Let’s find out!

“Why is GameDuell a great place to work?”For me, it’s first and foremost, because of the great people. Through ups and downs, everyone is working hard on our common goals. And there is great team spirit! We don't always agree, but that's also part of being on a great team. Our vision is: Bringing people together to have a good time with games! And that does not only relate to our players, but also to our team. We have a lot of opportunities to come together to both deliver what is needed and to have fun. There are regular opportunities for the team to enjoy a party or other company events. Moreover, there are a lot of challenges and opportunities to learn and grow at GameDuell. As far as our games and platform are concerned, they are ever evolving and never boring, which to me is essential for enjoying my work at GameDuell.

Working with great people makes for a great working life, seems to make sense. You would imagine that with such an important position, you would have very little time, right?

“When you’re not at GameDuell, what do you do in your spare time?”My family keeps me happily busy most of the time, but I very much enjoy watching movies, series and playing games on all game platforms, as well as quietly reading a book when the opportunity arises. However, when I really get lucky, I still get to do what I did earlier in my games career: designing and engineering some small pet projects and game ideas. It’s only for my personal development and entertainment though, but I still deeply enjoy it. You could say that I really like playing games, but love making them.

Some people just can't seem to get enough of games, Erik is a prime example. We hope we've been able to provide you with a glimpse behind the GameDuell scenes. If you think it sounds like a great place to work, why not join our team by filling one of the open positions? Feel free to write to us on Twitter or Facebook, if you have any questions or suggestions!

Read next: Meet our Team Members - Today: Maiju from Office Management

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