Paul Sams

Paul Sams Email and Phone Number

President & Coo At Certain Affinity, A Keywords Studio | Former Coo At Blizzard Entertainment | Former Ceo At Ready At Dawn Studios @ Certain Affinity

Paul Sams's Current Company Details

Certain Affinity

President & Coo At Certain Affinity, A Keywords Studio | Former Coo At Blizzard Entertainment | Former Ceo At Ready At Dawn Studios

Paul Sams Work Experience Details

  • President & Chief Operating Officer
    Certain Affinity Sep 2022 - Present
    Austin, Tx, Us
    www.certainaffinity.comThe world's top AAA independent, co-development studio specializing in single player and multiplayer FPS and action games. Co-developed games from the following top franchises including, but not limited to: Call of Duty®, Halo®, Exodus™, Hogwarts Legacy®, Hearthstone®, Doom®, New World®, Left 4 Dead®, World of Tanks®. Lead developed "Project Loro™", Crimson Alliance®, and Age of Booty®.
  • Strategic Advisor & Consultant
    Certain Affinity Sep 2019 - Sep 2022
    Austin, Tx, Us
  • Founder & Managing Partner
    Sams Consulting Group Mar 2015 - Present
    Video games, esports, and management consulting and advisory company that helps you scale and refine your business. Current and former consulting or advisory clients include: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.®, Ready At Dawn Studios LLC®, Certain Affinity, Inc.®, ManaWorks LLC™, Stream Engine, Inc.™, The 4 Winds Entertainment, B.V.™, Scuti.AI LLC™, Otherside Entertainment, Inc.™, 451 Media Group, Inc.™, Warchief Gaming LLC™, RMG Media LLC™, Mars & Co Consulting Ltd®, Peak6 Group LLC®, Obsessed Clothing Co.™, Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc®. Coleman Research Group, Inc.®, Guidepoint Global Advisors®, Third Bridge Group Limited®, Alphasights Ltd.®, and Ridgetop Research LLC®.
  • Co-Founder & Partner
    Damage Esports Feb 2018 - Present
    Los Angeles, California, Us
    www.damage-esports.com Premier full-service gaming & esports marketing agency focused on helping consumer brands navigate our space and authentically connect with the young and fast growing esports demographic. Clients include Intel®, Ubisoft®, Square Enix®, Konami®, ASUS®, Roccat®, Epic Games®, TikTok®, T-Mobile®, Area15®, Subaru®, GCI Communications®, Belkin®, Linksys®, Gen.G Esports®, Pac12 Conference, UCI Esports, and Seoul Dynasty®. Partnered on global game franchises including Overwatch® League, Rainbow Six® - North American League, Marvel Avengers®, and You-Gi-Oh®.
  • Steward Board Member
    Grant Ame Worship Center Nov 2022 - Present
    www.gwcaustin.org
  • Strategic Advisor & Investor
    Stream Engine Sep 2019 - Present
    Irvine, California, Us
    www.stream-engine.ioStream Engine™ provides the world’s most comprehensive Artificial Intelligence service to measure and analyze brand recognition and sentiment across streaming and digital platforms. Utilizing patented breakthrough technology and machine-learning algorithms, we modernized how brands derive true value from advertising and on-screen exposure. Clients include Horizon Media / Geico (NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL), MLS, PGA, Endeavor, Omega, Houston Outlaws, Damage - The Esports Agency, The Stronach Group, and Navigate.
  • Advisory Board Member
    Scuti Marketplace Jul 2021 - Present
    West Palm Beach, Florida, Us
    www.scuti.storeScuti™ is a personalized marketplace just for gamers and the world's first g-Commerce platform. Scuti enables brands to market and sell directly to players through a network of connected games. We provide game makers with new and incremental revenue streams, while always putting player experience first through rewards and brand-sponsored prizing.Scuti is set to disrupt ecommerce, digital advertising and game monetization - all at once.
  • Strategic Advisor
    451 Media Group Jul 2018 - Present
    New York, Ny, Us
    www.4five1.comAn entertech company, focused on working with highly accomplished talent and cutting-edge technology to produce an array of exciting new worlds to showcase across all media platforms on a worldwide basis.
  • Advisory Board Member & Investor
    Safehello Mar 2016 - Present
    Austin, Tx, Us
    www.safehello.comSafeHello’s patented and proprietary SafetyNet algorithm analyzes unique points of data in real-time — from location, device ID, shared signatures and facial recognition — to assess each users’ level of trust and safety based on interactions across SafeHello. Other patented and proprietary offerings include SafeSignal, SafeSketch, SafeSignUp, and SafeShare. Formerly hOp Market, a hyper-localized community building platform that allows you to curate a customized online community with five times the reach of existing social media platforms.
  • Strategic Advisor
    Rmg Media Llc May 2020 - Present
    A premier, real money esports tournament platform (DBA bttl.live).
  • Minority Investor
    Pittsburgh Steelers 2009 - Present
    Pittsburgh, Pa, Us
    www.steelers.comThe Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, PA. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) and are 6-time Super Bowl Champions. The team is a member of the Northern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC).
  • Strategic Advisor
    Otherside Entertainment Jun 2016 - Jun 2023
    Concord, Ma, Us
    www.otherside-e.comHelped support the company’s successful sale to Aonic AB. In-house game development studio creating new game experiences in the Argos®, Thick as Thieves®, System Shock®, and Underworld® game franchises.
  • Business Advisor & Consultant
    Manaworks Oct 2020 - Dec 2022
    Bellevue, Wa, Us
    www.mana.worksAAA independent game development studio started by the former founder and senior leaders of Arena.net®, creators of the Guild Wars® franchise. Serve as a business advisor to the CEO and leadership team as well as provide publisher business development leadership, strategy and negotiation services.
  • Lead Strategic Advisor
    Warchief May 2020 - Apr 2022
    Irvine, California, Us
    www.warchiefgaming.comAAA franchise and world creation studio specializing in table top games, pencil and paper RPGs and streaming television series. The company's flagship product is Auroboros™: Coils of the Serpent™.
  • Lead Strategic Advisor & Consultant
    Ready At Dawn Studios Oct 2017 - Dec 2019
    www.readyatdawn.comOne of the world's top AAA independent, game development studios. Lead developer on multiple globally renowned franchises including: God of War®, Daxter®, The Order® and Lone Echo®. As of June 2020, the company became a wholly owned division of Oculus, a Facebook company.
  • Chief Executive Officer
    Ready At Dawn Studios May 2015 - Oct 2017
    As the chief executive officer of Ready At Dawn Studios, I was responsible for the company’s global business activities and operations. This included areas as diverse as business development, partner management, contract negotiation, market and platform expansion, go-to-market and co-publishing activities, esports, human resources, finance, IT and network operations, among others. I was a senior executive leader, operational specialist and decision maker for the studio as well as serving as a leader of company strategy. Reported directly to company majority owner. During combined tenure of CEO and Lead Strategic Advisor - launched Lone Echo®, Echo Arena®, Echo Combat® and Deformers®.
  • Guest Lecturer
    Rice University 2019 - 2019
    Houston, Tx, Us
    Guest lectured for the Department of Sports Management within the School of Social Sciences.
  • Executive Producer
    Warcraft (Motion Picture - 2016) Jan 2013 - May 2016
    www.legendary.comPrimary business and relationship leader for Blizzard Entertainment with Legendary Pictures in the creation of the Warcraft® motion picture.
  • Guest Lecturer
    The University Of Texas At Austin 2015 - 2016
    Austin, Tx, Us
    Guest lecturer at the Denius Sams Gaming Academy within the College of Communications.
  • President Of Blizzard Entertainment Sa
    Blizzard Entertainment 2012 - May 2015
    Irvine, Ca, Us
    www.blizzard.comThe world's most accomplished and respected AAA game development studio and publisher. Creator and owner of some of the world top game franchises of all time including: World of Warcraft®, Diablo®, Overwatch®, StarCraft®, Warcraft®, Hearthstone® and Heroes of the Storm®.
  • Chief Operating Officer
    Blizzard Entertainment 2004 - May 2015
    Irvine, Ca, Us
  • Senior Vice President, Global Business Operations
    Blizzard Entertainment 2002 - 2004
    Irvine, Ca, Us
  • Senior Vice President, Global Business Development
    Blizzard Entertainment 2000 - 2002
    Irvine, Ca, Us
  • Vice President, Business Development
    Blizzard Entertainment 1998 - 2000
    Irvine, Ca, Us
  • Director, Business Development
    Blizzard Entertainment 1996 - 1998
    Irvine, Ca, Us
  • General Manager
    Davidson & Associates, Inc. 1995 - 1996
    General Manager of the JV between Davidson & Associates, Inc. and Simon & Schuster, Inc. Reported directly and jointly to Davidson's CEO and Simon & Schuster Interactive's President. Launched Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess®, Extreme Chess®, MoneyTown®, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom®.
  • Contract Administrator
    Davidson & Associates, Inc. 1994 - 1995
    Drafted agreements, oversaw and managed all 3rd party royalty reporting, and managed all company contractual compliance for the company's educational, edutainment, and core video games business divisions. Performed contractual and financial due diligence for three company acquisitions (including Blizzard Entertainment), administered employee-facing corporate stock option program. Reported directly to corporate CFO and later to corporate General Counsel.
  • Company "Firefighter"
    Abc-Clio Jan 1991 - Feb 1994
    Santa Barbara, Ca, Us
    www.abc-clio.comWorked in both ABC-CLIO and primarily in its subsidiary Intellimation, the educational game library for Macintosh. Served as a "firefighter" or "designated hitter" wherever the company needed additional support and help to achieve its goals. Worked in accounts receivable, accounts payable, finance, HR, technical writing, desktop publishing, trade-show planning and support, QA, and shipping & receiving. Long term assignments included direct sales to higher education institutions and developer contract negotiation, administration & royalty reporting.
  • Draftsman
    Temple & Associates, Inc. May 1988 - Sep 1990
    Design and working drawings for custom homes, multi-family dwellings, and commercial properties.

Paul Sams Education Details

  • Uc Santa Barbara
    Business Economics

Frequently Asked Questions about Paul Sams

What company does Paul Sams work for?

Paul Sams works for Certain Affinity

What is Paul Sams's role in his/her workplace?

Paul Sams's role in his/her workplace is President & Coo At Certain Affinity, A Keywords Studio | Former Coo At Blizzard Entertainment | Former Ceo At Ready At Dawn Studios.

What is Paul Sams's email address?

Paul Sams's email address is pa****@****ard.com

What is Paul Sams's direct phone number?

Paul Sams's direct phone number is +194987*****

What schools did Paul Sams attend?

Paul Sams attended Uc Santa Barbara .

Who are the industry peers of Paul Sams at other companies?

Paul Sams's peers at other companies are Dan Ayoub, Mark Almeida, Max Whitaker, Lori Zawada, Marc Fonzetti, and Nicholas Longano. and Max Hoberman. Paul Sams's peers at other companies are Dan Ayoub, Mark Almeida, Max Whitaker, Lori Zawada, Marc Fonzetti, and Nicholas Longano. and Max Hoberman.