Thunderful Group has recently announced the appointment of Martin Walfisz as its new CEO. The decision was made by the company’s Board of Directors, and Martin will officially assume his role no later than September 1st, 2023. He will be taking over from Anders Maiqvist, who has been serving as the Acting CEO since August 10th, 2022.
Martin Walfisz is a seasoned games industry entrepreneur, executive, and advisor, with a wealth of experience in leading companies within the Nordic and European games industry. He is widely recognized for his role in founding Massive Entertainment, a game development studio that grew from a small team to 150 employees under his leadership. Massive Entertainment is now regarded as one of Europe’s premier development studios. After Ubisoft acquired the studio in 2008, Martin decided to venture into other commitments.
In 2016, Martin joined Nordisk Film to establish Nordisk Games, a division focused on investing in game companies across Europe. During his time as Senior Partner and Chief Strategy Officer, he provided strategic support to various group companies, including Avalanche Studios Group, Supermassive Games, Star Stable, MercurySteam, and Raw Fury. Martin also established Nordisk Games’ central support services team, actively assisting studios in improving their production and publishing operations.
Patrick Svensk, the newly elected Chair of the Board, expressed confidence in Martin’s appointment, stating, “With his extensive experience spanning over twenty-five years as an entrepreneur, executive, strategic advisor, and investor in the industry, Martin brings a wealth of knowledge to Thunderful. He will step down from his role as a Board Member in Thunderful to focus entirely on his new responsibilities as CEO.”
Martin Walfisz shared his enthusiasm for joining Thunderful, saying, “Thunderful is an incredibly exciting company that I have been following since its inception. Being entrusted with the role of CEO is both an honor and a significant responsibility. I am eager to work with the talented individuals at Thunderful to leverage the group’s business potential, creativity, and passion. Thunderful is embarking on an exciting growth journey, and I firmly believe that we have only scratched the surface.”
Patrick Svensk also took the opportunity to acknowledge the accomplishments of Anders Maiqvist during his tenure as the Acting CEO. Under Anders’ leadership, Thunderful’s Distribution segment successfully restored margins and generated substantial cash flows. The Games segment also witnessed solid profits and achieved market-leading organic growth. The Board expresses gratitude to Anders and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.
With Martin Walfisz at the helm of Thunderful Group, the company is poised for continued growth and development. His extensive industry knowledge and leadership experience will undoubtedly contribute to harnessing the business potential of Thunderful and driving the company forward into an even more prosperous future.
