Ollie Ivanova

Gaming has always been my passion, even though it's often seen as male-dominated. After completing my IT studies, I embarked on a career in B2B IT companies. Navigating this male-dominated industry, I gained both positive and negative experiences that shaped my journey. Eventually, I found my ideal career path at Microsoft, where the opportunity to work in the gaming department was a dream come true.

With 10 years of experience in marketing and 7 years at Microsoft, I lead an international team across four countries, aiming to create a diverse and welcoming environment for all gamers. Despite the challenges, we achieved numerous milestones, including growing the female gaming audience, combating biases against female leaders, and working on various accessibility projects for gamers. I'm particularly proud of establishing a core international, collaborative, and diverse team that manages over 1 million fans on social media.