Finnish game studio Small Giant appoints new CEO

The Finnish mobile game industry is worth a lot of attention these days, thanks to giant Finnish-made hits like Angry Birds and Clash of Clans.

So it’s good to know that Small Giant Games has hired well-known entrepreneur Timo Soininen as its chief executive. Soininen is the former CEO of the global teen social game Habbo Hotel. The Helsinki-based game studio Small Giant is making mobile games that haven’t been revealed yet.

“I’m very excited to join the Small Giant team as the CEO and look forward to working full-time with the team. I have a long history of working together with some of the core team members already at Sulake, so I know a lot can be expected from this exceptionally talented and creative team”, Soininen said in a statement.

He is leaving his current CEO job at mobile engagement marketing company Sunduka. A team of seasoned game designers started Small Giant Games in the spring of 2013. The team is developing “beautiful and deeply engaging character driven games for mobile devices.”

“We are happy to get Timo onboard the Small Giant Team as the CEO,” Small Giant COO Otto Nieminen said. “Timo’s long experience in the gaming space and leading a growth company is a perfect fit to our team.”

The company’s first free-to-play mobile game will be test-marketed during the summer.