Mikael Katmerian
Engineering & Organizational Leader
A highly analytical, passionate, and dedicated Engineering & Project Management leader with 17+ years of experience driving organizational transformation, scaling high-performing teams, and delivering strategic technical initiatives.
About Me
How I think, work, and what I care about
I'm a strategic Engineering & Project Management leader with over 17 years of experience driving organizational transformation and building high-performing teams. From leading engineering sub-departments at King (Activision Blizzard) to scaling technical organizations across the gaming and tech industries, I've consistently delivered measurable impact through people-focused leadership and strategic execution.
My approach combines deep technical understanding with strong business acumen. I excel at translating complex technical challenges into clear strategic roadmaps, building strong leadership cultures, and creating environments where teams can thrive. Whether it's scaling organizations, driving product delivery, or navigating complex stakeholder landscapes, I focus on sustainable results that align with business objectives.
My Philosophy
Leadership is about enabling others—create the conditions for teams to excel, and extraordinary results follow.
Strategy without execution is just planning—focus on measurable outcomes and sustainable change.
Diverse perspectives drive better decisions—inclusive teams build better products and stronger organizations.
Continuous improvement is a mindset—adapt, learn, and evolve to stay ahead.
Beyond Code
Engineering leadership and organizational design
Strategic planning and execution
Leadership development and talent growth
Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
Building scalable engineering cultures
Experience
Key roles where I've delivered measurable impact
Senior Engineering Manager
King (Activision Blizzard King)
- Lead and scale a sub-department consisting of multiple products and cross-functional teams
- Manage and coach Engineering Managers, supporting them in people leadership and strategic decision-making
- Drive alignment across Product, Design, and Engineering leadership to ensure coherent prioritization and value delivery
- Lead organizational change initiatives including team topology and ways of working to support growth and scalability
- Build strong leadership culture through coaching, feedback, and performance management
Engineering Manager
King (Activision Blizzard King)
- Led and developed teams of technical professionals, enabling them to deliver technical solutions and services
- Partnered with Product Managers and Technical Directors to execute product delivery roadmaps
- Improved local tech culture by refining work practices and evolving workplace thinking
- Owned full employee cycle from recruiting to retention, managing all people-related processes in partnership with HR
- Drove initiatives around diversity, equity, inclusion, culture, and values to increase engagement
Agile Coach
King (Activision Blizzard King)
- Coached high-performing game studios and leaders during worldwide game launches and live games
- Supported teams to develop their output, structure, and culture resulting in higher stability, ownership, and speed
- Transformed two dysfunctional leadership teams to being well-performing through coaching and facilitation
- Implemented continuous improvement at organizational and team level through experiments and retrospectives
- Facilitated workshops on flow, team health, vision, decision making, and feedback
Agile Coach
NetEnt
- Coached and mentored development teams, managers, and individuals to enable higher performance
- Helped teams adopt and improve Agile methods and practices
- Organized and facilitated workshops including self-selection exercises, impact mapping, and retrospectives
- Increased Agile adoption across departments through targeted training and coaching
- Managed 4 engineers through performance issues during leadership transition
Solution Engineer Manager & Agile Coach
Accedo
- Managed customer projects as a primary function of the office operations
- Oversaw planning, implementation, and tracking of projects from beginning to end
- Led activities including sales discussions, requirement analysis, resource management, and risk management
- Developed agile values and practices, implementing Scrum and forming product ownership team
Agile Project Manager & Coach
Accedo
- Project managed development of SmartTV, smartphone, and IPTV solutions for leading media brands
- Responsible for sales discussions, requirement analysis, time estimation, and project planning
- Managed team and project follow-up from initiation through closing and handover to support
Core Skills
Technologies and competencies I use to solve problems
Leadership & Management
Leading sub-departments and multiple cross-functional teams • Coaching Engineering Managers
Departmental strategy, roadmap planning • Translating vision into measurable outcomes
Full employee lifecycle management • Performance management and coaching
Executive communication • Cross-functional alignment
Product & Delivery
Multi-product roadmap planning • Strategic prioritization and requirements analysis
End-to-end program delivery • Resource optimization and risk management
Technical solutions delivery at scale • Cross-functional product development
Organizational Excellence
Team topology and structure optimization • Scaling organizations for growth
Operational efficiency initiatives • Continuous improvement at scale
Large-scale organizational transformations • Strategic change initiatives
Leadership workshops and strategic planning • Vision and decision-making facilitation
Culture & Development
Certified CDEIL • Leading DE&I initiatives
Leadership development programs • Engineer coaching and mentoring
Improving tech culture • Values-driven leadership
Selected Projects
Concrete examples that demonstrate my impact
Engineering Sub-Department Transformation
Led the scaling and transformation of a sub-department at King, managing multiple products and cross-functional engineering teams through organizational change.
- Successfully scaled department structure to support multiple product areas
- Established clear ownership boundaries and accountability frameworks
- Built strong leadership culture through systematic coaching and performance management
- Drove alignment across Product, Design, and Engineering for coherent value delivery
Leadership Team Transformation
Transformed two dysfunctional leadership teams into high-performing units through strategic interventions, executive coaching, and organizational restructuring.
- Shifted teams from dysfunctional to well-performing within 6 months
- Improved team dynamics through targeted leadership development and 1:1 executive coaching
- Enhanced team diversity through strategic recruiting and inclusive culture building
- Established sustainable peer-to-peer support systems and leadership frameworks
Game Studio Launches & Live Operations
Led strategic support for high-performing game studios through critical worldwide launches and live operations, focusing on organizational effectiveness and delivery excellence.
- Delivered multiple successful worldwide game launches on schedule and within scope
- Increased team stability, ownership, and delivery velocity through process optimization
- Implemented continuous improvement frameworks at organizational scale
- Drove strategic alignment through leadership workshops on vision, decision making, and execution
Organizational Transformation at NetEnt
Led comprehensive organizational transformation across multiple development teams and departments, establishing modern practices and improving operational effectiveness.
Leadership Development Program
Designed and implemented a comprehensive leadership development program involving agile coaches and directors, strengthening peer-to-peer support.
Let's Work Together
I'm always interested in hearing about new opportunities and projects. Feel free to reach out!