Guest Lecturers and Advisors

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

Guildmasters

Our Guildmasters represent some of the most talented leaders and veterans in the video game industry. They are advisors, partners, and advocates for SMU Guildhall and have each also served as a graduation keynote speaker.

Aaron Thibault

Vice President of Product Development & Executive Producer, Gearbox Software

Adam Sessler

President, TheoryHead, Inc.; Previous: Rev3Games

Celia Hodent

Formerly Director of User Experience, Epic Games

Dan Connors

Co-Founder & Executive Advisor, Telltale Games

Drew Murray

Design Director, The Initiative; Formerly Creative Director & Programmer, Insomniac Game (Sunset Overdrive)

Ed Fries

Creator of Microsoft Game Studios, Co-Creator of the XBOX

Gabe Newell

Co-Founder, Mg. Dir., Valve Corp.; AIAS Hall of Fame

Graeme Devine

Creative Technical Officer at QXR Studios, Formerly Wandering Wizard at Magic Leap

Greg Zeschuk

Former Co-Founder & GM, BioWare: AIAS Hall of Fame

Jennell Jaquays

Game Designer; Former: Ensemble Studios (Halo Wars), id Software (Quake)

JJ Richards

Indie Game Developer; Founder, Spontaneous Quirk

Kate Edwards

Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association

Ken Levine

Former Creative Director/Co-Founder, Irrational Games (BioShock)

Mark Randel

Founder & Principal Technologist, Terminal Reality

Michael Gallagher

President/CEO, Ent. Software Assoc.

Paul Barnett

Sr. Game Designer; Previous: BioWare-Mythic

Paul Bettner

CEO/Founder, Playful; Co-Creator, Words With Friends

Richard Garriott

Founder, Origin (Ultima Series); Founder: Portalarium: AIAS Hall of Fame; GDC LTA Award

Richard Hilleman

Director, PMT, Amazon Games; Formerly CCO, Electronic Arts

Rob Pardo

Creative Advisor, Unity; Previous: Chief Creative Officer, Blizzard (World of Warcraft, Starcraft)

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir

Producer, Bonfire Studios

Steve Nix

CEO, Yvolver, Inc,; GameStop, id Software, Ritual

Tanya Watson

Co-Founder & COO, Squanchtendo; formerly Executive Producer, Epic Games

Ted Price

Founder, President & CEO, Insomniac Games (Ratchet & Clank)

Tim Sweeney

Founder/CEO, Epic Games; AIAS Hall of Fame

Tom Hall

Former Co-Founder, id Software (Doom), ION Storm

Warren Spector

Founder, Junction Point Studios; GDC LTA Award; Previous: Origin (Wing CommanderSeries)

Aaron Thibault

Vice President of Product Development & Executive Producer, Gearbox Software

Adam Sessler

President, TheoryHead, Inc.; Previous: Rev3Games

Celia Hodent

Formerly Director of User Experience, Epic Games

Dan Connors

Co-Founder & Executive Advisor, Telltale Games

Drew Murray

Design Director, The Initiative; Formerly Creative Director & Programmer, Insomniac Game (Sunset Overdrive)

Ed Fries

Creator of Microsoft Game Studios, Co-Creator of the XBOX

Gabe Newell

Co-Founder, Mg. Dir., Valve Corp.; AIAS Hall of Fame

Graeme Devine

Creative Technical Officer at QXR Studios, Formerly Wandering Wizard at Magic Leap

Greg Zeschuk

Former Co-Founder & GM, BioWare: AIAS Hall of Fame

Jennell Jaquays

Game Designer; Former: Ensemble Studios (Halo Wars), id Software (Quake)

JJ Richards

Indie Game Developer; Founder, Spontaneous Quirk

Kate Edwards

Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association

Ken Levine

Former Creative Director/Co-Founder, Irrational Games (BioShock)

Mark Randel

Founder & Principal Technologist, Terminal Reality

Michael Gallagher

President/CEO, Ent. Software Assoc.

Paul Barnett

Sr. Game Designer; Previous: BioWare-Mythic

Paul Bettner

CEO/Founder, Playful; Co-Creator, Words With Friends

Richard Garriott

Founder, Origin (Ultima Series); Founder: Portalarium: AIAS Hall of Fame; GDC LTA Award

Richard Hilleman

Director, PMT, Amazon Games; Formerly CCO, Electronic Arts

Rob Pardo

Creative Advisor, Unity; Previous: Chief Creative Officer, Blizzard (World of Warcraft, Starcraft)

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir

Producer, Bonfire Studios

Steve Nix

CEO, Yvolver, Inc,; GameStop, id Software, Ritual

Tanya Watson

Co-Founder & COO, Squanchtendo; formerly Executive Producer, Epic Games

Ted Price

Founder, President & CEO, Insomniac Games (Ratchet & Clank)

Tim Sweeney

Founder/CEO, Epic Games; AIAS Hall of Fame

Tom Hall

Former Co-Founder, id Software (Doom), ION Storm

Warren Spector

Founder, Junction Point Studios; GDC LTA Award; Previous: Origin (Wing CommanderSeries)

Game Changers Speaker Series

The Game Changers Speaker Series, established in Spring 2015, invites industry professionals 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 streamed on our Twitch channel.

Celia Hodent

Formerly Director of User Experience, Epic Games

David Helgason

Founder, Unity Technologies

Doug Lombardi

VP Marketing, Valve Software

Ed Fries

Creator of Microsoft Game Studios, Co-Creator of the XBOX

Garrett Young

General Manager, id Software

Graeme Devine

Creative Technical Officer at QXR Studios, Formerly Wandering Wizard at Magic Leap

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir

Producer, Bonfire Studios

Yusuke Naora

Art Director, Square Enix

Celia Hodent

Formerly Director of User Experience, Epic Games

David Helgason

Founder, Unity Technologies

Doug Lombardi

VP Marketing, Valve Software

Ed Fries

Creator of Microsoft Game Studios, Co-Creator of the XBOX

Garrett Young

General Manager, id Software

Graeme Devine

Creative Technical Officer at QXR Studios, Formerly Wandering Wizard at Magic Leap

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir

Producer, Bonfire Studios

Yusuke Naora

Art Director, Square Enix