Services and development giant Keywords has snapped up Fumiko Okura as general manager for its Tokyo studio.

The firm has announced that the development vet was hired on November 1st. She takes the role with over 15 years of experience in the games industry, working for giants such as Ubisoft and Take-Two.

“I am delighted for the opportunity to join Keywords Studios as general manager in Tokyo, a company that offers such a wide array of services in the game industry. Keywords Studios is here to help all game creators with development, Localization, QA, Player Support, and other services," Okura said.

“I will be working closely with all the service lines to increase collaboration and strengthen our value contribution to our clients. Keywords Studios in Tokyo is made up of employees from many different nationalities—and through improving both ethnic and gender diversity—we can make our Tokyo studio an even better place to work, resulting in better services to our clients.

“I look forward to working with my new colleagues – both locally in Japan and throughout the wider Keywords group globally.”

Keywords regional MD for Asia Christopher Kennedy added: “I am confident that Fumiko will take good care of the team here and continue to make Keywords in Tokyo the best place for video game developers, artists, animators, voice actors and beyond to contribute to the industry in Japan. Fumiko’s extensive knowledge and experience on the client side of the video games industry will empower the team in new ways.

“Fumiko has been highly active in past roles promoting diversity and inclusion in those organisations. This is a fantastic match with our global organization made of people from many different backgrounds.

“After handing over my responsibilities as General Manager in Tokyo to Fumiko, I will continue in my regional role overseeing the growth of Asia.

“Keywords in Tokyo is fast approaching its 11th anniversary and we are pleased to have more than 400 employees working passionately on projects for our clients. I am thankful for the contributions of our employees and vendors, as well as the great understanding and cooperation of our clients.

“Keywords will actively seek further acquisition opportunities in Japan and wider Asia, as we continue to build the ‘go-to’ services platform for publishers and developers worldwide.”