General Manager, Japan
King is a leading interactive entertainment company known for developing and publishing mobile games. Their most famous title is the Candy Crush franchise, which is consistently a top-grossing mobile game. King is a part of Activision Blizzard, having been acquired by them in 2016. The company is headquartered in Stockholm and London, with offices in various locations worldwide.
The Challenge
When King set out to launch their new office in Japan, they were encountering challenges breaking into the market. They began their search from London and for over a year, they met with more than sixty candidates, but none felt quite right. Despite their efforts, they struggled to find the caliber of talent needed to confidently establish their presence in the market.
The challenges become more clear. Japan's gaming industry is relatively closed and domestic, with strong local networks and cultural nuances that can be difficult to interpret from the outside. Engaging top-tier passive candidates proved especially tough, as many of them weren’t actively seeking new opportunities or widely visible through online channels. Defining the right search strategy for such a complex and unique market required a deep understanding of local dynamics.
We partnered closely with their leadership and talent partners to recalibrate the search, bringing passive talent to the discussion table, and uncovering candidates who had previously been out of reach.
The Approach.
When King set its sights on entering the Japanese market, the company recognized the need for a seasoned General Manager with both strategic marketing expertise and proven leadership capabilities. The ideal candidate would be someone capable of launching mass-market campaigns and establishing a high-performing local office.
To support this critical initiative, we conducted a comprehensive executive search tailored to Japan’s unique gaming ecosystem. Our process began with an in-depth mapping and segmentation of the Japanese gaming talent landscape, providing King’s global stakeholders with valuable market intelligence and a contextual foundation for decision-making.
We then localized King’s employer value proposition to ensure it resonated with top Japanese executives, aligning with local culture and industry expectations. Through bespoke outreach and one-on-one consultations, we engaged high-caliber candidates and presented King as an attractive and strategically aligned career opportunity.
Our team facilitated exploratory discussions, built a curated shortlist of qualified leaders, and advised King at each step of the evaluation process. Finalists traveled to London to meet with King’s executive leadership team, which culminated in the successful appointment of a General Manager to lead their Japan operations.
The Outcome.
Candy Crush Saga achieved a major milestone in Japan, rising to the number one spot on the iOS App Store following a highly effective television advertising campaign. Originally ranking in the low 100s, the game rapidly climbed the charts to become the most downloaded iOS app and the second most downloaded app on Google Play in Japan shortly after the campaign launch.
Following the debut of the new TV advertisements, Candy Crush reached as high as No. 3 on the Japanese iPhone download charts.
In addition to its download success, Candy Crush has maintained a top-50 grossing position across iPhone, iPad, and Google Play platforms in Japan since its initial launches. This performance underscores the power of localized marketing in driving user acquisition and sustained revenue growth in competitive mobile gaming markets.