« Back to News

Nick Poole starts as new Ukie CEO

Ukie, the trade association for video games and interactive entertainment, is delighted to welcome Nick Poole, who has formally taken up the post of CEO after his appointment last October.

Nick brings over two decades of experience leading transformational change for professional and trade associations in the cultural and creative industries.  

His previous roles include CEO positions with national organisations, including most recently in the library and information sector where he was voted one of the 100 most influential people in publishing by The Bookseller magazine for four consecutive years.  

Nick is actively engaged in industry advocacy and policymaking, serving as an industry representative on the Government Media Literacy Taskforce and chairing Wikimedia UK, the UK chapter of the global Wikipedia movement.  

Nick is a strong believer in the power of games and has seen first-hand the power of video games to change peoples’ lives for the better. He first learnt to code by programming games and has a genuine passion for the sector. He has commissioned games in the past for educational purposes and has also previously engaged with Ukie’s Digital Schoolhouse. 

Ukie Chair Tim Woodley said:

“Ukie is proud to represent the UK video games and interactive entertainment industry at this pivotal point in its development. This is the perfect time for a new CEO to bring fresh energy and experience to our work. The Ukie Board and I are looking forward to supporting Nick as we develop our growth strategy and action plan to champion the interests of our members and to secure the long-term future of the industry.”  

Nick Poole said:

"The UK is a creative powerhouse and our video games and interactive entertainment industry is the most exciting and dynamic part of that global proposition. I am excited to work with the Board and team at Ukie as well as our members and partners to help secure the recognition, investment and regulatory support that this fantastic industry deserves, now and for the future.” 

Nick will be supported by the Ukie Board and the Senior Management Team at Ukie, which consists of: 

  • Sam Collins – Chief Commercial Officer 
  • Shahneila Saeed – Head of Education and Director of Digital Schoolhouse 
  • Dominic Murphy – Head of Policy and Public Affairs 
  • Bhavina Bharkhada – Head of Communications and Campaigns  
  • Daniel Wood – Special Projects Lead   

Approved headshots to use for Nick Poole can be found here