Ukie has appointed their next CEO, Nick Poole. Poole joins Ukie following eight years as the CEO at CILIP, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and 20 years of experience in CEO positions.
Pool will be replacing Dr Joe Twist who announced her departure earlier this year, with the role being filled by joint interim CEO’s Sam Collins and Dan Wood who will continue in the role until Poole steps in on April 1 2024.
Poole has specialised in driving growth and transformation in professional membership associations with a particular strength in governmental engagement and building mission and purpose. Prior to CILIP, Nick was CEO of the Collections Trust where he secured £70m worth of funding from Government, growing membership significantly, and income threefold.
At CILIP Poole had been pivotal making the professional body the critical go-to resource for the libraries and information sector and under his leadership CILIP membership has grown to 10,000 paying members, 161 institutional members and 19 university partners in the UK and internationally. He has also led a series of initiatives to diversify the membership group, including improving the gender balance, and dedicated offerings for those from BAME and LGBTQ+ communities.
The power of games
“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,” reads Ukie’s official release. “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 had previous touchpoints with Ukie’s Digital Schoolhouse, looking to roll this out across libraries. He sees great potential for growth in Ukie and brings a strong track record of leading and successfully growing professional bodies and trade associations.
“Nick is also passionate about playing games. His favourite games are Minecraft, where he hosts a Realms Server for his family and friends, the Halo series and Fallout 4. He also enjoys retro gaming, discovering indie titles on Steam and has taken his first tentative steps into the world of No Mans Sky.”
Ukie Chair, Tim Woodley said: “Ukie as an organisation is still largely the same size, shape and structure as it was when the industry was half the size it is today, so the time is ripe for fresh eyes to take the brakes off and build on the solid foundations which Jo established. After a rigorous six month process, we are thrilled that we have found in Nick the right combination of CEO experience, a growth driver, a heavyweight lobbyist and an acute sense of how to lead an organisation with mission, purpose and equality.”
Nick Poole said:
“I could not be more excited to take up the role of CEO of Ukie at this pivotal moment for the UK’s video games and interactive entertainment industry.
“Video games and interactive entertainment is a great UK success story. From the very large to the very small, the UK is proud to be home to many of the world’s most creative, innovative and dynamic video game companies. With an estimated value in excess of £7bn per annum, UK video games should be recognised not only as an economic powerhouse, but also a vital driver of education, creativity and innovation. Video games are serious business, and I am looking forward to bringing my experience in growing professional membership associations and in Government liaison to help secure the recognition and investment it deserves.”
