Jonathan Marcelino

Founder & CEO - Ritmo GmbH (Voodoo / Tencent)

Voodoo

Aug 2022 - Aug 2024 (2 years 1 month)

Founded and led an independent hybrid-casual game studio backed by Voodoo (Tencent Group), with full ownership over product, strategy, and P&L. Built the company from zero, defining the vision, team, and operational structure while driving data-driven prototyping cycles and collaboration with publishing and UA teams.

- Built the studio from scratch: vision, team hiring, production processes, and remote operating model.

- Led a cross-functional team of Unity developers and designers through fast prototyping cycles.

- Partnered closely with Voodoo’s publishing and user acquisition teams to evaluate performance and optimize product-market fit.

- Owned full early product lifecycle, from ideation and c

Head of Creative Studio

Popcore

Jul 2020 - Jul 2022 (2 years 1 month)

Built and led Popcore’s first Creative Studio, one of the earliest dedicated units of its kind in the hyper-hybrid gaming industry, later adopted as a model across the sector. Created the entire operational foundation of the studio from scratch, including team hiring and structure, KPIs, creative processes, creative direction and production frameworks that became central to Popcore’s success and later acquisition by Take-Two Interactive.

- Established and scaled a multidisciplinary team of 30+ Unity motion, and graphic designers supporting all company titles.

- Designed and implemented the studio’s complete creative and production systems, defining workflows, iteration pipelines, quality standards, and performance metr

Head of Product (Producer)

Popcore

Jun 2019 - Jun 2020 (1 year 1 month)

First managerial hire during Popcore’s early growth (≈8 people). Acted as the central bridge between design, engineering, data, production, marketing/UA and the founders. Built the company’s first production frameworks, KPI schema and validation gates, laying the foundation for new-title delivery, LiveOps and the scale-up to 50+ staff in this initial phase.

- Produced Popcore's big titles that became global hits, including Parking Jam 3D, Pull the Pin and Sandwich (#1 US App Store).

-Created Popcore’s inaugural production system (ideation → prototype → market test) with clear workflows, KPIs and validation checkpoints used across teams.

-Established cross-functional dependencies (weekly reviews, decision cad

Director of Product

Empire Interactive

Dec 2018 - May 2019 (6 months)

Promoted to Director of Product, leading two business units (Shooters & Anime) with full strategic, operational, and financial ownership. Oversaw up to 80 staff and 15-20 Product Managers, managing global roadmaps, LiveOps, and new product launches while spearheading international integrations and process standardization.

- Led two business units (70–80 staff) with full P&L, product, and LiveOps accountability.

- Managed 12–15 Product Managers and Senior PMs, driving performance alignment and delivery excellence across portfolios.

- Headed the integration of Trion Worlds (400 employees) across San Francisco and Austin, evaluating teams, merging pipelines, and returning the studio to profitability.

Head of Product

Aeria Games

Jun 2018 - Nov 2018 (6 months)

Promoted to lead the company’s Shooter division, managing multiple live titles and new product launches across Western markets. Oversaw product strategy, LiveOps, and P&L for a 30–40 person organization, including six Product Managers and full accountability for revenue, engagement, and delivery quality.

- Directed a portfolio of 7-8 live games, leading product roadmaps, monetization, and feature updates to maintain engagement and revenue growth.

- Built and managed a dedicated team of 10 people to launch IronSight globally, coordinating directly with Korean developers to adapt design, monetization, and content cadence.

- Introduced structured LiveOps systems (event design, economy balance, player retention)

Head of Product Strategies

Aeria Games

Jun 2017 - May 2018 (1 year)

Took on a strategic integration role after Aeria’s merger with Gamigo, reporting directly to the COO. Acted as an internal consultant across business units (Shooter, Fantasy, Strategy, Anime) to unify product processes, reporting standards, and performance metrics across Germany and newly acquired studios.

- Led the integration of a newly acquired strategy studio in Münster and its migration to Headquarters in Hamburg, aligning its KPIs, backend systems, and reporting with Gamigo’s global standards.

- Evaluated team structures, optimized staffing, and facilitated full portfolio integration.

- Conducted mentoring and coaching for Product Managers and unit directors across 8–9 live game teams to improve foreca

Senior Product Manager

Aeria Games

Dec 2016 - May 2017 (6 months)

Transitioned into a senior cross-portfolio role after Aeria’s acquisition by Gamigo, mentoring 4–5 Product Managers and driving consistency across live game operations and product strategy. Focused on improving performance tracking, monetization frameworks, and team effectiveness across multiple genres.

- Coached and supported 4–5 Product Managers, aligning product roadmaps, KPIs, and revenue goals across business units.

- Standardized best-practice frameworks for P&L management, forecasting, and reporting.

- Partnered with Red Bull on a co-branded game initiative, strengthening external partnerships and marketing visibility.

- Helped unify product planning and LiveOps approaches across the portfo

Product Manager (Associate Producer)

Aeria Games

Dec 2015 - Nov 2016 (1 year)

Managed the most profitable title in Aeria’s portfolio, the MMORPG Aura Kingdom, leading a 12-person cross-functional team. Owned P&L, roadmap and in-game economy for the Western markets, collaborating directly with developers in Taiwan and delivering major performance improvements.

- Oversaw all aspects of product performance — revenue, retention, conversion and engagement (DAU, ARPU, ARPPU).

- Diagnosed and fixed a critical economy issue caused by untagged backend currencies, restoring pricing stability and improving in-game monetization.

- Introduced new late-game features (e.g., World Bosses) that increased long-term player engagement.

- Led sales planning and forecasting for monthly revenue t

Global Operations Manager

Foodpanda

Apr 2015 - Nov 2015 (8 months)

Joined Rocket Internet’s global operations team to support the scale-up of its food delivery ventures (including Foodpanda) across 40+ countries in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Focused on building scalable processes, coordinating international product rollouts, and improving key operational metrics across markets.

- Coordinated global software rollouts for order, vendor, and delivery management systems across 40+ markets.

- Partnered with local Managing Directors to analyze performance KPIs (delivery times, order conversion, efficiency) and implement process improvements.

- Designed and documented standardized operational frameworks to unify workflows and reporting between regional teams.

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Operations Manager

Volac International Ltd

Nov 2008 - May 2012 (3 years 7 months)

Joined the company in an entry-level operations role and was promoted within the first year to lead the UK subsidiary of a biotech company specializing in feed additives and microbial solutions. Oversaw production, supply chain, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance, driving 4× revenue and 5× profit growth in three years while achieving ISO certification and building a local manufacturing facility.

- Managed full operations for a 20 person team, including supply chain, logistics, finance, quality, and production.

- Established the company’s first UK manufacturing site, reducing reliance on U.S. imports and improving efficiency.

- Created and implemented all documentation and audits required for ISO 90

Research Scientist

CSIC

Trainee researching and developing polytenic chromosomes’ techniques

Jonathan Marcelino

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Jonathan Marcelino

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