PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Machine Zone (MZ), a global leader in free-to-play mobile games, today announced that its board of directors has appointed Kristen Dumont as CEO, replacing Gabriel Leydon. Dumont has served as the company’s COO since 2015. Leydon, a co-founder of MZ, is departing to lead the tokenization of the company’s Satori technology, a realtime messaging platform, as a stand-alone business. Additionally, MZ’s CTO of Games, Vincenzo Alagna, has been appointed President of Games.
Dumont becomes the first woman CEO of a major gaming company, one of two women CEOs among PitchBook’s 30 most valuable private companies in the world, and one of a handful of Latina CEOs in Silicon Valley.
Dumont was recruited by Leydon to join MZ in 2015 after serving as an advisor to the company for two years. As COO, she has been responsible for MZ’s worldwide strategy and operations, overseeing the company’s unparalleled growth as a mobile gaming powerhouse. MZ has produced three of the top performing games in mobile: Game of War - Fire Age, Mobile Strike, and Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire.
"Kristen is one of the most talented executives in the Valley and has already proven her ability to handle the company’s complex operations, so I know she’ll be a strong leader for MZ’s core business,” said Leydon. “My passion has always been in the realtime technology that we’ve developed through MZ’s games and smart cities platform. I’m excited to focus on what Satori can do when paired with blockchain technology.”
“Gabe’s vision and passion have made MZ one of the market leaders in mobile gaming,” said Board Member Larry Unrein. “As he pursues developing MZ’s realtime technology into new areas as the CEO of Satori, we are confident in Kristen’s ability to continue MZ’s dominance in mobile games. Kristen is a powerhouse with deep roots in all facets of technology companies, and she’s the right person to take MZ forward.”
“One of MZ’s core strengths is our ability to transform and innovate, and this transition will be no different,” said Dumont. “MZ is an incredibly strong tech company, fueled by the most talented engineers, developers and creatives in the industry. I’m excited to have Vincenzo step up as President of Games, as he is uniquely positioned to continue building upon MZ’s success in creating games that engage players on a global scale.”
About MZ
MZ is a realtime technology company and a global leader in free-to-play mobile gaming. MZ is the creator of three of the most successful mobile apps worldwide (Game of War - Fire Age, Mobile Strike, and Final Fantasy XV:A New Empire). Founded in 2008 as part of the highly prestigious Y Combinator program, MZ is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.