Andy Coley – Founder of Game Studio Training and author of Leadership is a Skill

I’m pleased to share a feature on my friend and colleague Andy Coley, founder of Game Studio Training — a training company tailored to the game industry — and the author of Leadership Is a Skill. Our paths first crossed at the Games Growth Summit by Analog Events, and since then I’ve watched Andy grow his impact across leadership, learning and community-building in the games ecosystem.

From Tech to Training

Andy’s background includes a stint as an IT consultant and early career in technology, where he developed a fascination for how people, process and mindset intersect with performance. Over the past two decades he’s transitioned into what he describes as his “true calling” — helping individuals and teams develop what he terms “people skills” and leadership capacity. Game Studio Training+2Andy Coley+2

He is a certified NLP trainer (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), TEDx speaker and coach, blending psychological insight with practical leadership tools. Game Studio Training+1

He is a certified NLP trainer (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), TEDx speaker and coach, blending psychological insight with practical leadership tools. Game Studio Training+1

Game Studio Training – Purpose Built for Games

With Game Studio Training, Andy recognised that the games industry poses unique leadership and culture challenges: tight deadlines, creative teams, rapid iteration cycles, cross-discipline collaboration. On the company website he states:

“This platform is dedicated to supporting and empowering leaders, studio heads, and managers in the computer games industry… strong leadership is more important than ever.”

Some of the core programme themes include:

• Leading in a values-led way and stepping into a leadership identity

• Building dynamic teams and keeping motivation high

• Leading with a coaching approach rather than command-and-control

• Managing change and getting stakeholder buy-in Game Studio Training
  His clients include major studios such as Ubisoft Reflections (since 2020) and programmes achieving > 90% satisfaction scores. Game Studio Training

The Book – Leadership Is a Skill

In February 2025 Andy published Leadership Is a Skill: Transform Your Impact as a Leader. prweb.com+2

His core message: leadership isn’t about title or seniority; it’s a set of competencies you can build.
For the game industry in particular, where many find themselves promoted into leadership roles without formal training, this message hits home. Game Republic
The book covers:

• Leading creative teams and building psychological safety

• Navigating high-pressure, high-expectation environments

• Effective communication, feedback and trust-building

• Developing confidence as a leader, no matter your background Game Republic

Community, Speaking & Impact

Andy also plays a role beyond training:

• He is an organizer (committee member) for TEDxNorthernQuarter.

• Regular conference speaker: his session “Leadership is a Skill, NOT a Position” at Develop Conference North in 2024 is built around this concept. developconference.com

• Upcoming appearances include the EGX Careers Stage in London, bringing his message to aspiring game-industry professionals.

His broader mission: change the game-industry culture by raising the quality of leadership and embedding people-first practices that help studios retain talent, boost creativity, and avoid burnout.

Why This Matters

In a high-velocity creative field like games, leadership rarely gets the spotlight equal to tech or design — yet it underpins everything: culture, output, innovation, retention. Andy’s work addresses the gap between “being good at your craft” and “leading others who craft.” He brings structure, tools and mindset development to roles that often are defined by urgency and ambiguity.

For anyone in a game studio — whether you’re a lead, producer, manager or aspiring to be one — Andy’s message is clear and actionable: invest in your leadership skill now, or risk weakest links becoming the bottleneck.

A Personal Note

When I first met Andy at the Games Growth Summit, his authenticity and passion stood out. He wasn’t just offering another leadership programme — he was bridging two worlds: the creative fast-moving world of games and the more traditional world of leadership development. Observing his trajectory from that meetup to author, speaker and trainer has been inspiring.

If you’re looking to level up your leadership game, whether in studios or in adjacent creative/tech fields, Andy Coley is someone whose work genuinely makes a difference.

Next steps:

• If you lead (or want to lead) in a game-studio environment: check out Game Studio Training’s workshop offerings.

• Get a copy of Leadership Is a Skill and reflect on where your leadership gaps lie.

• Consider attending Andy’s session at EGX Careers to see his style live.