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Millicent Thomas, export PR and marketing executive at Ubisoft Global Publishing talks about what she’s achieved, and what her ambitions are going forward.
How did you break into games?
During lockdown I was finishing my studies in Film & Publishing while working at GamesRadar+ as an entertainment writer and elsewhere as a freelance film critic. Like many, I had a bit of a career crisis and decided suddenly I didn’t want to be in film anymore. I reached out on Twitter to see if anyone knew of a games PR or marketing internship and got really lucky to hear from Into Games, where I landed a job as their first ever social & content lead! From there it was all about building relationships. I was a LimitBreak mentee in 2021 and my mentor tipped me off that Ubisoft were hiring, I was very fortunate to have their guidance on my CV and the interview process.
What has been your proudest achievement so far?
It was absolutely winning Rising Star at the 2022 MCV Women in Games Awards. I haven’t been in the industry that long, and often feel that my succeeding was a total accident – so to have the support and recognition of my incredible peers and the esteemed judges meant the world to me. (I still can’t believe it!)
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
Understanding export in PR and communications was definitely a learning curve. Working across so many countries with varying cultures and languages promoting our games poses a new challenge every day. But it’s equally incredibly rewarding to work with people all over the world and see how differently things can be done to reach audiences!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
My colleagues who continue to help me grow and learn in my career, and the constant excitement of our games.
What’s your biggest ambition in games?
Two things: I’d like to one day help launch a Naughty Dog game, and I want to continue to work to the values I learned at Into Games. I’d like to be vocal where I can, about creating better opportunities for the marginalised in game development and be mindful to never pull the ladder up behind me.
What advice would you give to a person that wants to do your job?
Learn as much as you can from the people you admire, whether through their social media, talks, panels, events, etc. Find out what their path might have been, but remember yours could be completely different. Also, my role is all about people, so make sure you’re a people person who likes to see others succeed and likes helping them to do so. And, where you can, ask lots of questions!
