Meet the Team

The Trailmix team is ambitious, hard-working, energetic, fun-loving and respectful. We have an incredible array of skills represented, boast people from around the world, and have a wealth of experience in mobile games and beyond. Find out more about the people behind Love & Pies.

12
Nationalities
200+
Years of Industry Experience
4
Office dogs
Hollie
Game Artist

As a game artist, the bulk of Hollie’s time is focused on animation, although her work also includes artwork design, Spine rigging, and character design. Her background as an artist has mainly been in mobile gaming, although it also includes stints on children’s television and in film VFX.

What’s the most important part of your job?
Making the game look pretty!

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to either illustrate characters on cereal boxes, or draw comics for the Beano.

What is a typical day like for you?
Wake up at the crack of dawn to attend to my dog, drink lots of coffee, make cool creative stuff at work, chill out at home with my girlfriend!

Richard
CTO

As CTO for Trailmix, Richard brings 14 years of game development experience to the role, including roles as CTO at Halfbrick and Studio Tech Director at King. He writes code and works to ensure that we have an amazing and technically sustainable game.‍

What’s your favourite thing about working for Trailmix?‍
The people and the size. We’re small enough that everyone has a big impact on many aspects of the game, and we have a team that’s passionate about making something amazing.‍

What is something in the games industry that you would like to fix?
Team-wise, I want more diversity. Product-wise, I want to see gaming experiences crafted for all of life’s contexts.‍

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Programmer, ideally in games, for as long as I can remember.

Mat
Lead Game Designer

Mat’s role sees him tackle anything related to game design, with a specific focus on meta systems and game economy. He brings 15 years of games industry experience to his position here, including some five years as a lead game designer at King.

What is something in the games industry that you would like to fix?
I'd like to show that f2p mobile games can be a force for good, and to inject some soul into the proceedings .

What is a typical day like for you?
Walking to work, claiming the daily rewards from whichever mobile games I'm playing at the moment, working on game systems with talented people, listening to heavy music, beating everyone at Trailmix at any game that involves subterfuge.

What is your favourite word, and what does it mean?
There's an episode of Pinky and The Brain where The Brain builds a whole standup career around saying the word "repugnant". It left a big impression on me.

DC
Producer

Hi there! I'm still writing up my bio, but check back in soon.

Laura
Lead Writer

Although Laura now lives in New Zealand she still works with us a freelancer. As our writer and chief dramaturgist, Laura creates the game world, stories and characters, as well as writing scripts and dialogue. Laura has over 12 years experience as a professional screenwriter, and has worked in games, television, film and webseries.

What first drew you to Trailmix?
Although I had freelanced on games, this was my first full-time role in the games industry, and as soon as I interviewed for the job and met the team I knew I wanted to be part of things here!

If you were a character in a video game, who would you be?
I just finished the remake of Link’s Awakening and I’d definitely be the girl who sings to the whale and likes to hang out in Animal Village.

What is your favourite word, and what does it mean?
Technical - it includes an equal number of letters from every line of the keyboard, and possibly shows how nerdy I am.

Andre
QA Tester

Andre works on the QA team at Trailmix, keeping bugs out of Love and Pies so that our players can enjoy the game unhindered! 

What’s your favourite thing about working for Trailmix? There are a few things but what comes to mind is creativity, plus the passion everyone has here and the environment it creates.

How did you get into the games industry? I started my QA journey at TT Games and where I did QA for the Lego Harry Potter, which was so much fun.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Comic Book Artist for Marvel!

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?My time off is time to disconnect from tech as much as possible. Park days, books, newspapers and coffee shops.

Caro
CEO and Co-Founder

As CEO, Caro directs the operations of Trailmix - she builds and leads the team, liaises with external partners, manages finances, and sets the strategy and direction. While initially working as a management consultant in financial services, Caro moved into the games industry 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back since.

What values drive you?
Collaboration. It’s always incredible to see what we can do when we work together. I also prefer collaborative games over competitive games. :) 

What is something in the games industry that you would like to fix? 
Mobile games can be played by anyone and they should also be made by anyone. I think if the people who make the games ‘look’ more like our audience they will respect our audience more as well. 

What is your favourite word, and what does it mean? 
Gemütlichkeit. It’s German and it’s a state of feeling warmth, friendliness, sense of belonging. It’s like being cozy at home with your family and friends eating home cooked food and just being together (ideally it’s snowing or raining outside and you don’t have to leave the house). My goal is to make the Trailmix office feel a little bit like this too.

Jakub
Lead Developer

Fueled by coffee, Jakub works on game development, technological R&D, problem solving and occasional IT support. He started his career working in the web industry before moving to video games.

What’s the most important part of your job?
Morning coffee, solid code and pleasing gameplay implementations.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
Landscape Photography

What is something in the games industry that you would like to fix?
Games should be more accessible.

Philippa
User Acquisitions Manager

Philippa is Trailmix's resident User Acquisitions Manager! In her own words, her job is to get high-quality users into the game.

What past experience and credentials do you bring to your job?
I have worked in various marketing jobs throughout my career but settled in the gaming industry 6 years ago and never looked back. Now I have a good number of game launches under my belt, as well as managing some older classic titles.

What first drew you to Trailmix?

It felt like the perfect opportunity to learn more from a small game studio that’s making waves in the mobile gaming market. I also love Love & Pies. I was drawn to the fact it's story-focused, with strong core & meta gameplay. I really love the characters and beautiful nature of the game itself.

What values drive you?

They seem to fall into a few main clusters:
- Challenge & Continuous Improvement I think go hand in hand.
- Positivity, thoughtfulness & support.
- Equality, fairness & unity.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
Anything that involves hanging out with friends or family! Watching movies & travelling. Occasionally I’ll get stuck on a random hobby, most recently crocheting

Tristan
Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder

As the creative lead for Trailmix, Tristan is responsible for helping drive the team towards a united vision. His role encompasses prototyping, writing game design documents, creating/testing levels, and working closely with everyone in the team. Tristan started out making games as a child, and has been working in the industry for over 14 years.

If you were a character in a video game, who would you be?
Tails, from the Sonic games. As a kid I always was, anyway.

What is something in the games industry that you would like to fix?
Every human on this planet plays, and as a species we recognise how important it is for growth and development. So why doesn’t every human play video games? That’s on us as an industry, and it’s about accessibility, a diversity of voices, and generally breaking out of the constrained walls we’re currently in of what a video game “ought” to be. If I can do a tiny bit to move this along, I’ll be really happy.

Cats or dogs?
Cats

Bex
Game Developer

Game developer Bex writes code to help us bring the best experience to our players. After completing a degree in computer science and maths, Bex spent three years making mobile racing games before moving to Trailmix.

What’s the most important part of your job?
Making sure the artists and designers and I are all on the same page about what we're making!

What is something in the games industry that you would like to fix?
I definitely won't be able to fix it by myself, but I've noticed that while there have been a lot of movements towards getting more women working in games, I think it's time for the industry to see that there are more axes of diversity than just the binary genders - structurally, the industry can do better at hiring people of colour, people with disabilities, people who are trans, etc.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
I'm an official for London Roller Derby in my spare time - do not start asking me questions about the rules for roller derby because you'll never escape.

Said
User Acquisitions Manager

Said is Trailmix’s User Acquisitions Manager - meaning he spends his time acquiring users for us who will LOVE the game! 

What’s the most important part of your job?  Driving installs, and not forgetting that every install is a human with a device!

What first drew you to Trailmix? The story, the people and the values! Hearing, and reading about what is valued at Trailmix and what drives the team here was an amazing hook.

What is your favourite word, and what does it mean? Kadirşinas -  an old Turkish word meaning a grateful and appreciative person, who understands value. 

If you were a character in a video game, who would you be? Pangolier from Dota 2, I love his passion for an adventurous life. As he says, ‘life is but a game, and I’ve certainly come to play!’

Sean
Lead Artist

The very first team member hired by Tristan and Caro, Sean draws, paints and animates, as well as drinks a lot of tea. Although a career in animation originally beckoned, Sean was quickly drawn in to the world of games, where he enjoys exploring the evolution of the medium.

What’s your favourite thing about working for Trailmix?
Working in a small but super skilled team! 

If you were a character in a video game, who would you be?
Prince of Persia, with the ability to turn back time!

What is a typical day like for you?
Tea, talk, draw, tea, plan, tea, technical brain overload, tea, paint, tea, ponder scrapping and starting over my work.

Tegan
Financial Accountant

Tegan is a fantastic Financial Accountant here at Trailmix! Working in the FinOps team, focusing on general finance as well as ad-hoc ops projects.

What’s your favourite thing about working for Trailmix? That it has retained the community feel of a small business, yet we’re working on such a large scale and keeping up with the competition. It’s a really fun, safe space where everyone can be themselves and you feel heard.

What 3 words would you use to describe Trailmix? Inclusive, Exciting, Funky

If you were a character in a video game, who would you be? Yasmin in Bratz: Rock Angels, exclusively on Playstation 2

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? I like to hang out with friends, mainly picnics in the park or on the rooftop of my flat. When I have quiet time to myself I like to knit, crochet, read or keep my photo album up to date

Neo
Game Artist

Game artist Irineo worked on a variety of games for mobile before starting his role at Trailmix. Here, he makes and animates characters and objects for the game, and bakes a mean cornbread.

What is something in the games industry that you would like to fix?
I would like to see more studios challenging casual puzzle games and also focusing on a much more developed meta.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
Making trash rap music, going to the gym, working on personal artworks.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was 6, I wanted to be a bowl of cereal but thought astronaut might be more financially stable.

Matt
Game Artist

Game Artist Matthew made the leap into the games industry after working on an animated TV show, so he brings experience in games and animation to his role at Trailmix. Here, he works on everything from design concepts to in-game assets.

What values drive you?
I want to better myself in every aspect, I like to see myself as a constant work in progress.

What is something in the games industry that you would like to fix?
A more healthy representation of the eclectic audience who play games. 

Tell us one unusual fact about you.
As a baby I was once in a Tescos advert, stark naked.

FD Matt
Finance Director

Our fiscal mastermind Matt is Trailmix's Finance Director - or 'Funance' Director as he sometimes calls himself.  As Finance Director Matt over see how we make and spend money, and most essentially, he's the one to set up the Trailmix bar tab.

What 3 words would you use to describe Trailmix? Passionate. Silly. Talented.

What first drew you to Trailmix?The hype!

If you were a character in a video game, who would you be?There’s a mage in League of Legends (one of my favourite games) called Veigar who is seen as this evil character who studies dark sorcery and tries to portray himself as a ‘master of evil’. But actually, he possesses a strong inner morality and isn’t as evil as he seems. Much like finance.

What’s your favourite thing about working for Trailmix? The variety of my day-to-day, and being able to quickly have impact and get things done.

Sonya
Data Scientist

Sonya is a Data Scientist at Trailmix; working on providing faster and more automated statistical insights for AB Testing and building models to better understand engagement, monetisation and player strategies.

Why did you get into the games industry? I love data and psychology! The massive volume of data on player behaviours is so interesting to analyse! 

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?Anything revolving around food and drinks, especially if there’s cheese!

What did you want to be when you grew up? I took karate and gymnastics when I was younger so I could roundhouse kick baddies and cartwheel away. Turns out being a Power Ranger isn’t a real job and cartwheeling is harder than it looks.

Lauren
People & Wellbeing Manager

Lauren’s role is to ensure the team are supported to be the best version of themselves, so they can deliver the best possible games. She brings her expertise and passion for wellbeing to create us a healthy and happy workplace.

If you were a character in a video game, who would you be?
Someone once said my sneeze is how they imagine Princess Peach to sound...plus Mario Kart is lots of fun!

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
I really love to have new experiences and travel at any opportunity. My way of relaxing is by connecting with others, so I always have a full diary of places to go and people to meet. Spending time with my loved ones is super important to me, even if it has to be via video call sometimes.

What is your favourite word, and what does it mean?
Bubble - it just feels nice to say.

JP
Talent Acquisition Manager

JP (Jamie) manages Trailmix's recruitment; sourcing amazing talent, spreading the good word about Trailmix, and managing candidate pipelines that lead to wonderful hires!

What past experience and credentials do you bring to your job? I have around 11-12 years of recruitment experience specifically within the games industry, and I have worked on pretty much every kind of role within the industry, partnering with some exceptional talent.

What 3 words would you use to describe Trailmix?  Unique, Humble, Homely

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? Spending time with my partner and my son, watching him learn and grow. If I have a free window, then some well-earned gaming time too!

What’s your favourite thing about working for Trailmix? The people and being a part of something special which is cared for and nurtured by every staff member.

Yoojin
User Acquisition & Growth

Yoojin drives our game users growth. By using market insights and robust analysis, she implements effective marketing strategies. She has nine years of experience working on world-known gaming IPs at companies such as Come2Us, NHN and Ubisoft. 

What values drive you?
Learning new things. Life is all about learning and exploring. I treat my time as gold to learn as much as I can. 

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
Watching K-drama (Korean drama). This helps a bit when I am homesick. 

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted a job that allowed me to live anywhere in the world. Working in gaming growth makes it possible; I used to work in Seoul, then Paris and now I’m in London!

Jade
Game Designer

Jade is a a key part of the game design team, responsible for owning all kinds of features, and helping to make sure Love & Pies is as much fun for our players as it can be. 

What first drew you to Trailmix? I think the biggest thing that drew me to Trailmix was the fact that we are a small startup company. I'm very people oriented and love working in small teams to make something amazing.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? I really like playing competitive video games and play them a lot with my friends in my spare time. I also love creating digital art when I get inspired!

What is something in the games industry that you would like to fix? Better designed women in games. Too many games continue to design women that appeal to the male gaze, rather than more realistic and diverse characters that players can relate to. I think it's important to have diversity even in these fantasy worlds.

Constantin
Product Manager

Constantin is Trailmix’s Product Manager, making sure Love & Pies is as successful as it can be! He analyses the player data and market trends and ensures that the most impactful areas of development are being prioritized.

What first drew you to Trailmix? I'd been following Trailmix since their first funding round and had already played Love & Pies in soft launch. When I saw they were hiring for a Product Manager I had to explore it.

What values drive you?
Efficiency and fun!

If you were a character in a video game, who would you be? I wish I could say Nathan Drake from Uncharted, but I lack basically all of the skills for that. So the closest match is probably Pacman for his fear of ghosts, love of eating, and sound effects.

What is something in the games industry that you would like to fix? The idea that there is such a thing as a "real game" and that some games don't qualify for that title.

Chiara
Game Artist

Chiara is one of Trailmix's wonderful Game Artists. In her own words, her job is to draw and paint cute stuff!

What’s your favourite thing about working for Trailmix?
I love the art style we use, and it is a real pleasure to use my skills every day for a great product and a great company! Plus it is great to be part of such a lovely team, everyone is amazing here it's unreal.

What first drew you to Trailmix?
As an artist, visuals are essential to me, and everything at Trailmix is so well thought and carefully curated, in every single detail. Also working on a narrative game has always been a dream of mine!

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

I play video games and board games a lot, and I'm a  D&D player! I watch tons of TV shows, I like to go to exhibitions, and take long walks :3 I also enjoy cooking, singing and composing some silly music.

Ricardo
UI/UX Artist

UI/UX Artist Ricardo works with the design team to come up with the systems and screens our players interact with! He puts himself in the player's shoes to understand what we need to craft a fun and meaningful experience -  from the big cool moments to the tiniest details.

What past experience and credentials do you bring to your job?
All my life I’ve loved designing stuff for people to use, from my own Chrono Trigger fan websites to leading a group of like-minded artists to create a kick-ass 3D game from the ground up. I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of game companies, a combination of big players and small indies from all over the world including Brazil, Europe and the Middle East.

What’s your favourite thing about working for Trailmix?
The people and the atmosphere. Collaborating with open-minded talented people drives the best out of me and having the opportunity to be in a cool place while doing so fills me with energy!

Cats or dogs?
D O G S. Living with dogs is like living with your bros from high school. They can be messy, but they will always be there for you!

Cosmin
QA Lead

Cosmin is our one and only QA Lead, directing the quality assurance efforts at Trailmix - from testing our games to coordinating and working with relevant partners. Cosmin brings twelve years of QA experience to Trailmix, having worked on games across a wide range of platforms, including numerous mobile titles!

What’s the most important part of your job?  
Making sure the quality of our games is always super high.

What’s your favourite thing about working for Trailmix?

Hands down the people – a versatile and passionate group with lots of experience in the industry, working with them makes my days just better. But most importantly, they are good human beings and just nice to be around.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

Waking up early and running in a park or forest. Enjoying some crazy green smoothies and salads.

Oli
Game Developer

Our awesome game developer Oli works on core gameplay at Trailmix, making sure that our games always feel super fun to play!

What’s your favourite thing about working for Trailmix? Working in a small team where it feels like I have ownership and responsibility, and that my contributions go a long way. I love being able to think of ideas, pitch them,and feel empowered to implement it and try it out.


If you were a character in a video game, who would you be? I’d love to be some kind of blacksmith NPC in a video game. There’s something incredibly appealing to me about the idea of talking to random protagonists and characters that come into the shop, and also the zen-like nature of crafting things…


Tell us one unusual fact about you. Someone once tried to take my online username from me and I had to travel halfway across the country to fight them in a game of Smash Bros in order to keep it.


Cats or dogs? Dogs!

Kaia
HR assistant and Good Dog

Kaia is responsible for cleaning up food from floors, guarding the office from delivery people, and using up her human’s resources.

What’s the most important part of your job?
People can tell me everything. I am a good listener and treat all information very confidentially.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
I am a huge gamer - a casual game of fetch is my favourite

What is your favourite word, and what does it mean?
Woof - it can mean anything!

Gromit
Cuddle Monster & Rascal

Gromit enjoys sniffing around, wagging his tail, and crying when his human goes for coffee. He was inspired to work in games after watching his humans play them, and loves getting treats and cuddles from the team.

If you were a character in a video game, who would you be?
Isabelle from Animal Crossing!

What is your favourite word, and what does it mean?
Good boy, not sure what it means but I seem to get treats along with it

Tell us one unusual fact about you
I think I'm secretly a cat. I am picky with my food, I like climbing up on the sofa, I prefer cat toys and I don't do what I'm told!

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