Meet Annem Hobson, Studio Communications Manager

05/04/2021

How did you start at London Studio?

Two people I knew from a previous job had recently started at London Studio and had nothing but great things to say! Shortly after, there was a need for a Communications Manager so I was introduced directly to Tara Saunders, our now Studio Head. We got on great, the role sounded right up my street so the interview process began from there!

What does your role entail?

My job is to make our studio shine by looking after our internal and external communication! I help develop the studio communication strategy whilst putting the studio’s goals and values at its heart. I really enjoy what I do because I get to collaborate with so many teams from HR, PR, Marketing, Production and more!

What do you find most exciting about your work here, and what are things you’re passionate about doing?

So when I joined, my role hadn’t existed before. London Studio never had an in-house Comms person so it was a fantastic opportunity to put my stamp on things and start from fresh. That’s the part I find most exciting here! I get to think strategically, but have the support to work flexibly as it’s a dynamic environment.

This flexibility is music for my soul as I’m empowered to challenge and come up with new solutions. Oh, and I’m ridiculously excited about the next game we are making… I really can’t wait to tell the world about it!

What has your career path looked like over the years?

I studied Journalism and Communication at University so I’ve somewhat stuck to what I thought I’d be doing in life. One of my first roles was working as a Media Liaison Executive, which meant I wrote news content and copy for various brands and helped secure broadcast coverage. It was a high-pressure whirlwind and a real baptism of fire to get into PR.

After that I worked at a mobile games company for 4 years, then went agency side working for various brands again and theeeeeeeeennnnn, I took a little break.

During my ‘career breather’ I started up a company, launched a cheese product (long story) went freelance and now here I am! Back in games and loving it. 😊 Career paths aren’t always linear. It’s totally okay to go off and try new things if you want to. Those new things will teach you invaluable skills.

Working from home has become a big part of our lives recently. How have you found this has worked with your team at London Studio?

When Covid-19 first became a reality in the UK, it was a shock to the system. The uncertainty of the situation was unsettling and I remember chatting to a lot of my friends about how their employers were handling it. I realised pretty soon that London Studio went above and beyond what I’ve heard any other company do. There was so much consideration towards everyone’s mental health and we were given support – both financially and emotionally. They even considered our work set ups at home. Were we comfortable, did we need anything? It made that period of my life so much more stable, knowing I had a team that cared deeply about me.

Transitioning to virtual calls came with a few bumps initially, but I think we’ve got a great groove now. As we shift into a hybrid working model, I’m personally looking forward to dividing my time between WFH and a few days in the office to use the collaboration space.

If you could describe London Studio in a few words, what would they be?

Passionate people, working hard to be awesome and make something awesome too!

Want to join our team?

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