Dave Johnson

Culture-Driven Team Builder with 25+ Years of Experience Across AAA, Startups, and Publishing I am a seasoned leader with experience at early-stage startups, established studios, and large-scale publishers. Regardless of discipline or industry, my core belief remains the same: build great teams and foster a culture grounded in trust, accountability, and passion. I've led multidisciplinary teams of 5 to 150+ across continents, and I bring a senior-level expertise in: Production & Team Leadership Go-to-Market Strategy & Monetization Art Direction & Animation Narrative Design & Game Design Live Action Directing Quality Assurance User-Generated Content Emerging Technology --- I believe a strong team culture is one that embraces failures as tools for growth, and that accountability is required at all levels and disciplines. Titles I've contributed to include SHRAPNEL, Crackdown 3, Alan Wake, Ryse: Son of Rome, Age of Empires Online, Gears of War, Halo, Fable, State of Decay, and many other prototypes, near-misses, and some glorious failures that provided amazing lessons. I began my journey as a Software Test Engineer, evolved to an Animator and Art Director, and ultimately grew into leadership roles. This has taught me to lead with empathy and has given me a practical understanding of how to build a culture of respect and trust.