The Crewing Company (TCC) has launched a dedicated games sector talent department and appointed former Escape Studios’ sales and marketing head Paul Wilkes to run it.

The new unit will initially focus on securing permanent and freelance positions for artists, animators, designers, programmers and producers working in all areas of games including social and mobile games development.

Games recruitment specialist Wilkes, who has more than 10 years experience of working with technical and creative CG talent, will head up the department which, although based in London, will also target opportunities in the Midlands and the North via TCC’s Manchester office.

TCC joint managing director Stuart Hatton said: “Games and Interactive Content, particularly the creative side of games development, has always been part of our plan as we see it as being a good complement to our current portfolio. We strongly believe that the ethos and approach to recruitment that works so well for us for us in TV and commercials will also work well in games.”

Having spent eight years recruiting for the games industry at Datascope before developing a dedicated CG recruitment business at Escape Studios, Wilkes is very well positioned to head up the expansion.

“What we have been lacking until now,” continued Hatton, “is the in-depth understanding of roles that clients and candidates expect of a recruiter working in this space. Paul brings this and much, much more. It was vital to us that we didn’t attempt a move into the games industry until we were confident we had a true expert on board. Now that we do, we have not just the systems and infrastructure but also the knowledge and experience to become a serious player in games recruitment.”

Wilkes himself, who studied 3D Design at University before moving into training and recruitment, sees big opportunities for TCC.

“The UK has a long tradition of PC and console game development,” he said. “Some of the best and most successful titles are developed here. But now, as that market has matured and the public has adopted new platforms, there is another area in the form of social and mobile games. A lot of people that I used to deal with at the big developers have now started their own small social or mobile games companies and are at the early stages of developing their businesses, looking to build core teams. Hopefully my contacts and credibility will go a long way to helping The Crewing Company secure some of this work.”

Wilkes starts his new job immediately, based in TCC’s office in Hackney Wick.