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Students and Faculty in class

Guildmasters & Keynote Speakers

Industry leaders regularly participate as guest lecturers, advisors, and invited keynote speakers at SMU Guildhall.



Industry Leaders Offering Insights, Advisory, and Advocacy

Guildmasters: Some of the most talented leaders and veterans in the video game industry are elected advisors, partners, and advocates of SMU Guildhall. They are each formally and ceremonially recognized and awarded the title, along with a physical award. Elected Guildmasters are notated below.

Keynote Addresses: Guildmasters have also served as keynote speakers including graduation addresses and the Game Changers Speaker Series. Established in Spring 2015, the Game Changers Speaker Series invites prominent industry leaders to deliver special topics presentations to the Guildhall student body and community as an extension of the SMU Guildhall mission — to educate and inspire the next generation of video game developers. The series is often streamed on our  or , and you can find replays available on those platforms. Past keynote speakers are notated below.

 

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Richard Garriott
Guildmaster
Founder/CEO, Epic Games; AIAS Hall of Fame
Gabe Newell; Image Credit: Starfish
Gabe Newell
Guildmaster
CCO/Co-Founder/Game Creative Dir., OtherSide Ent.; VP/GM/Creative Dir., Disney Interactive; GDC LTA Award
Greg Zeschuk
Greg Zeschuk
Guildmaster &
Graduation Speaker (2012)
SEO, SetJetters; CEO, Geogrify; Dir., The Global Game Jam; Exec Dir., IGDA; Forbes 50 Over 50

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Tom Hall
Guildmaster




Design & Operations, Bonfire Studios; CCO, Blizzard Ent.
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Richard Hilleman
Guildmaster &
Graduation Speaker (2011)


CEO/Co-Founder, ForwardXP & Yvolver; Div. VP, GameStop; Dir. Dig. Platforms, id Software; CEO, Ritual Ent.
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Jennell Jaquays
Guildmaster


Dir. of Games & eSports, Texas A&M; VP of Strat. Operations, Gearbox Software
smu guildhall guest lecturer advisor celia hodent
Celia Hodent
Guildmaster &
Game UX Strategy Consultant; Dir. of UX, Epic Games
Tanya Watson
Tanya Watson
Guildmaster &
Group Studios GM, Microsoft; Co-Founder/CEO, Squanch Games; EP, Epic Games
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Dan Connors
Guildmaster &
Graduation Speaker (2013)
Design Dir., Insomniac Games; Design Dir., The Initiative
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Doug Lombardi
Guildmaster &
VP Marketing, Valve Software
smu guildhall guest lecturer advisor graeme devine
Graeme Devine
Guildmaster &
CTO, QXR Studios; CEO/Co-Founder, GRL Games; Wandering Wizard, Magic Leap
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Ken Levine
Guildmaster
Unity Game Developer, Netflix/SpryFox/Spontaneous Quirk; Founder, Spontaneous Quirk
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Paul Barnett
Guildmaster
CEO/Founder, Playful; VP/GM, Zynga; Creative Director, Microsoft Ensemble Studios
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Michael Gallagher
Guildmaster


Founder, Petersen Games; CCO, Barking Lizards Technologies; Game Designer, Ensemble Studios; Gaming Hall of Fame
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Mark Randel
Guildmaster
VP Global Creative, Ubisoft; Head Of Design, DICE
Matt Hooper
Matt Hooper
Game Changers Speaker
Chief Administrative Officer, Playable Worlds; Studio COO, Activision/Mutant Arm; COO, Hitbox Entertainment
Morgan Wilson
Morgan Wilson
Lead Level Designer, That's No Moon; Sr Game Designer, Naughty Dog; Level Designer/Scripter, id Software
Guido Arcella
Guido Arcella
Game Changers Speaker


Sr Gameplay Designer, Guerrilla; Sr Gameplay Scripter, Hangar 13; Technical Designer, Crystal Dynamics; Designer, Bungie
Joel Rodriguez
Joel Rodriguez
Director of Marketing, Free Range Games; Sr Brand Mgr, Versus Evil; Sr Brand Mgr, Telltale Games
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Kyle Langley
Sr Technical Game Designer, That's No Moon; Technical Designer, Epic Games; Author