Tatiana Carou, Lead Producer for the Marketing and Creative EMEA team – and AMIGOZ member – shares her perspective on how Zynga’s global teams collaborate, how the company and mentors have helped support and guide her career over the years, and what it feels like to be an expat living and working in London in the gaming industry.

What is your role within Zynga and how did you get here?
I’m a Lead Producer for the Marketing and Creative EMEA team. I started at Zynga over a year and a half ago and have had the opportunity to work on a variety of games and support different marketing disciplines.

How would you describe the people within Zynga?
Zynga has an incredible community — the people are kind, supportive, respectful, and hardworking. Everyone is dedicated to solving problems and doing great work. We are spread across different offices, countries, and time zones, but despite the distances, the collaboration, trust, and support between teams is strong.

Since starting with Zynga, how has your own growth and development progressed?
There are lots of opportunities at Zynga to upskill and receive professional coaching, and I’ve had the opportunity to grow from Senior Producer to Lead Producer. I worked on a variety of games and with a variety of studios – both the role and responsibilities changed and increased.

How has the company supported your growth?
Zynga invests in their employees and their growth – I’ve experienced that first-hand through career coaching, training sessions, and mentorship. Zynga’s learning and development resources are available to improve existing skills or to expand into new areas. Leaders in the business are always available to meet, guide, and mentor.

Do you have any mentors or leaders that have helped or inspired you throughout your career?
I’ve had a variety of mentors from different industries and functions throughout my career. These mentors have challenged, supported, and provided me with a safe space. They have influenced me in different ways to positively impact my professional development.

I have mentors working in the same field who inspire my career growth and are always open to jumping on a quick call to problem solve or brainstorm. I also have others in different industries who are incredibly open and share their general knowledge, soft skills, and work/life experiences.

I have mentors who provide a leadership perspective, and challenge opinions and offer suggestions – and I have mentors who give me the confidence and appreciation that I don’t always give myself.

My mentors have helped me immensely and I’m excited to share as much as I can to help my mentees.

What is it like being diverse in Gaming?

As a Hispanic American woman living as an expat in London, working in gaming has been very exciting. Gaming brings people together and allows individuals to connect and share experiences around the globe. My family lives across five countries and three continents, so having the opportunity to work in such a global industry feels relatable and amazing.

As a bilingual, first-generation American, it feels natural to seek and appreciate different viewpoints, ideas, and creative solutions. Being the only woman – and the only Hispanic woman – in many of my meetings gives me the opportunity to share my own unique perspective with the company.

Our players are diverse, our games are diverse, and making sure we have a diverse workforce is important. As Zynga continues to connect the world through games, I’m excited to see all the new innovations, creations, and growth that comes from valuing diversity.