Veteran VR studio nDreams announced today that it has appointed former Codemasters CEO Frank Sagnier as the non-executive chair of its board of directors. As CEO of Codemasters—best known for its popular DiRT racing franchise—Sagnier lead the company to a $1.2 billion acquisition by EA earlier this year.
Hot on the tail of a demo release for its latest game, Fracked, nDreams is making moves. Just last week the company announced that it’s opening a second studio, nDreams Orbital, which will expressly focus on live-service games for VR. The company also announced a publishing arm with a $2 million fund for VR games earlier this year.
Today the company has announced that former Codemasters CEO Frank Sagnier is joining its board of directors as the non-executive chair. A board of directors typically functions as a body for guiding long-term business decisions and representing shareholders. A board is often a requirement for public companies, though many private companies with investors, like nDreams, also institute boards. While nDreams hasn’t announced a new investment, the appointment of Sagnier to the board suggests he may have participated in a recent investment round.
Sagnier spent seven years as the CEO of Codemasters. Under his leadership the studio acquired Sony’s Evolution Studio and Slightly Mad Studios, growing Codemasters as a powerhouse of driving simulation game development talent. He also lead the studio through an initial public offering in 2018. EA acquired Codemasters earlier this year for $1.2 billion; Sagnier says his departure from the company was a planned part of the acquisition.
“I am delighted to join nDreams’ board to help the company achieve its mission to become a world leading developer and publisher of VR games,” said Sagnier in the announcement. “Over the past few years, [nDreams CEO] Patrick has built a reputable studio with high quality teams delivering high quality games. The fast-improving hardware together with highly immersive and innovative player experiences mean the VR market is bound to see significant growth and exciting times ahead.”
Sagnier joins other nDreams board members, Patrick O’Luanaigh (Chief Executive Officer), Julie Parmenter (Chief Financial Officer), Tasmin O’Luanaigh (Chief People Officer), Tom Gillo (Chief Development Officer), and Julian Viggars, Pip Burley, & Dan Nord (non-executive directors).