Last week, Zynga Chief Executive Don Mattrick stepped down from his position at the social gaming company. Now, another executive is setting off, as Clive Downie is resigning from his position as chief operating officer. Downie has been with Zynga since 2013, and spent only a year and a half with the gaming firm. Previously, he worked at another gaming company called DeNA.
During this time at Zynga, he helped the company get involved in the mobile gaming market, bringing titles like Farmville and Zynga Poker to iOS and Android devices. Now, he will be heading to Unity Technologies, assuming the role of chief marketing officer. Unity is a well-known gaming operator that powers a wide range of games in the industry.
The company has experienced a great deal of success in recent years, becoming a popular choice for gaming developers and players. “Clive and I go back a long ways,” says John Riccitiello, chief executive at Unity. “I’m super-happy to have him. He has a deep history in mobile gaming and a long history of marketing skills.” This news comes shortly after Don Mattrick left the company, to be replaced by Zynga Founder Mark Pincus.
He will be returning to help Zynga recover from its financial turmoil. While Pincus is positive that the company can turn around, the departure of Downie is not a good sign. Zynga may have the potential to recover – but, it seems that the company’s employees are not eager to wait around and find out if it’s possible. There is no word yet on who will replace Downie at Zynga. We will keep you posted as the story develops.