To celebrate Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Zynga is spotlighting some of our incredible AAPI-identifying employees throughout May. We recognize the important influence that the AAPI community has had on the history, culture, and achievements of our organization and the world, and we are excited to share our employees’ stories.

We are continuing our celebration with a spotlight on Fumie Nawa Botwick, a lead senior user acquisition manager. Fumie relocated from Tokyo to San Francisco in 2012 and is passionate about marketing, celebrating diversity, and supporting others through networking and volunteering. 

Continue reading to learn more about Fumie’s journey, including how she got her start in the gaming industry, what she loves about her role, who has inspired her the most throughout her life, and more! 

Tell us a little bit about your background, culture, and career.

Konnichiwa! I am originally from Tokyo, Japan, and relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2012. 

I joined my first mobile gaming company as a Bilingual Executive Assistant. I supported one of the executives on the marketing team, and as I worked closely with them, my interest in marketing grew. Eventually, the company approved my transition, and I’ve been a passionate marketer, specializing in user acquisition (UA) and performance marketing ever since. A former colleague later referred me to a role at Zynga, and I have been a proud Zyngite since 2018!

What is your current role and responsibilities at Zynga?

I am a lead senior user acquisition manager, working closely with our casino games studio (Zynga Poker, Game of Thrones Slots, Hit It Rich, Wizard of Oz Slots, Wonka Slots). Currently, my team is primarily focusing on growing the Game of Thrones slots user base. Leveraging paid channels, we care about both scale and ROAS (return on ad spend). 

My responsibilities include building a media buy strategy based on the game team’s objectives, strengthening relationships with external partners, regular communication and collaboration with internal stakeholders, monitoring KPIs, and adapting to new ad technologies. 

I am grateful to be surrounded by an amazing UA team. The exciting part about my role is I get to work with experts from different fields, including data/analytics, product, engineering, product marketing, creative teams, and so on.

Tell us about joining ZAPI (Zynga Asians & Pacific Islanders) and what the employee resource group means to you?

I joined ZAPI as I was seeking advice on how to survive the boba shortage… 😉 

All jokes aside, Zynga’s stance on supporting diversity and inclusion is important to me. I am also a member of WAZ (Women at Zynga) and knowing that we have a strong support system where we can share, uplift, and learn from each other is precious. It’s a network that encourages personal and professional growth. I also love being exposed to volunteer opportunities through these groups; it means a lot when I know I can support someone in need.

What does Asian Heritage Month mean to you?

Celebrating beautiful diversity, taking time to appreciate our ancestors who opened doors for us, and standing together to promote and achieve inclusivity.

Do you have an inspirational figure in your life? Who are they and how have they helped you along on your journey?

My parents and grandparents.

Growing up, my mother was part of a cultural exchange program and helped people overseas experience Japanese-style living. We hosted families and students from 10 countries and five continents. Living with them opened my eyes and mind to understand the importance of cultural diversity.

My father is one of the most practical and logical people I have ever known. He guided me on making better choices in life.

All my grandparents have taught me perseverance and hard work. They’re very traditional and also very open-minded! A couple of my favorite quotes from them are:

“Things change every few decades.” They taught me a lot of life lessons based on their experiences but they always listened and made the effort to understand generational differences.

“Meet people from far away.” They encouraged their children and grandchildren to interact with people from different backgrounds.

What was the best advice you ever received in your life or career?

You may not land your dream job from the very beginning or you may not know what your dream job is, but do not neglect your current responsibilities. Doors will open, and your vision will get clearer based on your work ethic and accomplishments.