Not for profit company Women in Game Jobs (WIGJ) has announced Jenny Richards-Stewart will be joining them as their new CEO.

The arrival of a woman CEO in an organization devoted to strengthening the number of women in the industry is well-timed, as an increasing number of companies seek to be more inclusive and to combat the traditional view of a male-dominated industry.

WIGJ founder David Smith commented, “The level of awareness of the gender imbalance in the games sector has increased significantly since WIGJ was founded but there is much more to do to encourage the recruitment and retention of a more diverse games industry workforce.” He goes on to talk about the new CEO, saying, “We think Jenny will help bring WIGJ to the next level of becoming a professional membership organisation capable of working with government, trade bodies, employers, those already working in games and job seekers to campaign for a more inclusive games sector for the benefit of the games industry as a whole.”

Jenny Richards-Stewart seems to be a good fit for the position, having a varied history in both technology and organization, from being co-CEO of Gremlin Group during their acquisition by Infogrames/Atari in 1999 to chairing the board of governors at Paddington Academy. Richards-Stewart is hopeful for the future of WIGJ, and also for the prospect of women in the industry.

“I feel that there is need for an organisation within the games industry which promotes equality and encourages new talent to join this exciting industry.” She said, continuing, “I want to take WIGJ forward to the next stage by developing closer ties with key organisations and raising its profile in the games industry.”

Given that there is a drive for more diverse voices in the industry, this will likely come as good news to many.