GameWorks, Inc. Strengthens Senior Management Team with Three Key Executive Appointments

Business Wire

Expansion of Management Team to Support and Fuel Company’s Growth; Focus on Esports Leadership Position and Integrated Entertainment Offering

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GameWorks, Inc., a full entertainment and dining experience for millennials, teens and families with seven locations nationwide, announced today the appointment of several key executives to its senior management team.

Jonathan Tang was appointed to the post of chief financial officer, responsible for leading and managing all financial functions of the Company. With more than 25 years of diverse finance and professional services experience, Tang has worked with companies spanning the technology, software/SaaS, e-commerce, social media, gaming, life science, renewable energy, real estate, and consumer products sectors. Prior to joining GameWorks, Tang led finance, administration, tax and treasury, risk management, regulatory compliance and human resources while serving as chief financial officer and chief compliance officer for Greenoaks Capital, a leading San Francisco-based investment firm. Concurrently, he was also chief financial officer of Greenoaks Global Holdings, a London-based group offering insurance solutions in emerging markets. Previously, Tang spent seven years at Deloitte in various roles, including international tax partner and senior manager in the Silicon Valley office. Tang spent the formative years of his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in San Francisco, where he began as an associate. Eventually, he made his way to the Silicon Valley office where he left as a director. Over the course of his extensive career, Tang has served clients of all sizes and stages of life, advising management as they navigated periods of growth and transformational change.

GameWorks also promoted Company and entertainment industry veteran Darren Des Roches to the role of chief operating officer. In this capacity, Des Roches oversees day-to-day operations at GameWorks’ venues. During his 15-year tenure with GameWorks, Des Roches also held the position of senior vice president of operations as well as area director. Des Roches, with 35 years of hospitality experience, worked in various roles at JBC Entertainment, a food and entertainment operator of family entertainment centers across the U.S. He also was a founding partner in La Costa Restaurants Corporation, a Canadian-based Mediterranean fine dining concept.

Concurrently, Michael Sadowski, who has 20 years of experience in marketing, analytics, operations and finance across multiple industries, was named to the newly created position of chief marketing officer. He will focus on leveraging data and technology to enhance the guest experience -- particularly for new and innovative esports and video gaming -- further optimizing all the entertainment options GameWorks has to offer. Prior to joining GameWorks, Sadowski was vice president of operations and general manager for Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. (KBB), a brand within Cox Automotive. He was responsible for the KBB brand performance and overall business operations. Earlier, in various roles, he led the marketing, analytics, sales operations and finance organizations. Before KBB, Sadowski was vice president of finance for Quality Systems, Inc., a publicly traded healthcare IT company, where he led the financial planning and analysis, mergers and acquisitions and treasury functions. Sadowski began his career with GE, serving in multiple divisions and various functions.

“We are fast-assembling a strong management team of seasoned executives, each of whom bring extensive related career experience and talent to the Company. All of these professionals possess the necessary background and knowledge needed to grow this Company quickly and profitably. Jonathan, Darren and Mike bring distinct business acumen and niche specialties to their roles, which will prove to be significant as we position GameWorks and our brand for the future,” said Philip N. Kaplan, chief executive officer at GameWorks.

“In just a few short months since announcing new leadership and ownership, we have implemented certain strategic growth initiatives and already made great strides to quickly and positively impact awareness of our brand. Our strong senior management team will serve as the springboard for taking this Company to the next level as we further emphasize the major elements that comprise our integrated entertainment model: games, esports, food and drinks. We look forward to the contributions the team will make toward enabling GameWorks to capitalize on many of the emerging aspects within the entertainment business, including the burgeoning market and demand for esports along with the ever-increasing popularity of video games overall,” Kaplan concluded.

Tang is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in California and Washington. He holds both a Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude) in accounting and a Master of Accountancy in taxation from Brigham Young University. Sadowski holds a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from University of Massachusetts and a Master’s degree in business administration from University of Southern California.

About GameWorks, Inc.

GameWorks, Inc. offers a full entertainment and dining experience for millennials, teens and families, from seven locations nationwide, including those in Chesapeake, Va. (Norfolk), Denver, Las Vegas, Minneapolis (Mall of America), Newport, Ky. (Cincinnati), Schaumburg, Ill. (Chicago) and Seattle. Each action-packed location ranges, on average, from between 20-30,000 square feet and features approximately 140 of the most popular arcade and video games. Other interactive activities, ranging from laser tag, billiards and other special attractions, are offered at various locations. Every location features The Works Kitchen at GameWorks, a new, eclectic, chef-driven restaurant concept that takes a Modern American spin on bar classics.

GameWorks is recognized nationally for its esports, which take place in its esports Lounges, attracting 80,000+ guests annually who participate in or watch tournaments.

GameWorks also operates TableTop Tap House, a top-rated restaurant, sports bar and social game hall serving modern American tavern-style food and drinks in San Francisco.

For more information, please visit www.gameworks.com, or connect with the Company on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.