Jeremy Lewis left the CEO role at Big Fish Games in 2012 as founder Paul Thelen returned to lead the company. Lewis described the handoff as a natural transition for a company entering a new stage, said the decision was made jointly, and planned to remain on Big Fish’s board.
What happened when Jeremy Lewis left Big Fish?
On April 27, 2012, GeekWire reported that Thelen was returning as Big Fish Games’ CEO and president, replacing Lewis. Lewis had been with the company for six years and was to remain on its board of directors. GeekWire’s April 27, 2012 report reproduced both Lewis’s employee memo and his follow-up comments.
What did Lewis say about the change?
In his memo to employees, Lewis called the transition “a natural point in our company’s progression” and said Thelen was “best suited to lead us forward.” He also said he would continue supporting the company as a board member.
In a follow-up email to GeekWire, Lewis described the move as a joint company decision, writing: “This was our decision as a company — as company’s grow and reach different life stages they require and benefit from different leadership.” The wording is reproduced as it appeared in his email.
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Why did Lewis say he was moving on?
Lewis framed the leadership handoff around Big Fish reaching a different stage and Thelen being the right person to lead it at that point. He also said he planned to spend more time with his family. The 2012 report does not establish what Lewis did later or whether he took another opportunity.
What company history did Lewis include in the memo?
The milestones below are claims from Lewis’s 2012 employee memo, not independently audited figures or current company metrics:
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- He said Thelen founded Big Fish in 2002 as a one-person game development studio, and that Mahjong Towers put the company on the map.
- Lewis said he joined in 2006 after working as a Goldman Sachs managing director, initially serving as president and chief operating officer. He became CEO in 2008.
- According to Lewis, Big Fish closed an $83 million financing in 2008.
- He said the company passed one billion consumer downloads on PC and Mac in 2010.
- Lewis described Big Fish as a top-10 publisher on iPad in 2011.
He also outlined plans for 2012: a Universal Cloud Gaming Service, expansion of PC, Mac, and mobile marketplaces into free-to-play games, and a Facebook extension through Ace Casino. Those were plans described at the time; the memo does not establish whether each launch happened.
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