Knight will build on the studio foundation established by long-serving Jean Venneman, who is retiring at the end of the year
IGT has appointed Jamie Knight as its new chief studios officer, succeeding Jean Venneman who will retire at the end of this year.
Building on the strong foundation established under Venneman’s leadership, Knight will lead IGT’s continued studio investments, driving innovation across game design, content development and studio operations.
Knight has been with IGT since January 2025 and currently serves as senior vice president of game studios for the US. She begins her new role on 1 January 2027 following the retirement of Venneman after more than 30 years in gaming.
“Jean’s leadership created the foundation for this next phase of growth,” said IGT CEO Hector Fernandez. “She brought together talented teams, strengthened how our studios operate and raised the bar for creative and operational excellence.
“We are deeply grateful for everything she has contributed to our organization and our industry. Jamie’s combination of creative instinct, studio leadership and focus on innovation in design and math will build on that momentum and unlock new possibilities across our combined studio organization.”
Knight has over two decades of experience across the industry’s largest suppliers, having worked for the likes of Light & Wonder, Scientific Games, Bally Technologies and Design Works Gaming.
“I’m energized to lead our studio teams and build on the strong foundation in place,” said Knight. “Together with our talented teams across IGT and Everi, we’ll push the boundaries of what’s possible in game design, content strategy, and math innovation to deliver world-class experiences on the floor.”
Venneman will retire on 31 December, having begun her career at IGT in the early 1990s and going on to hold senior leadership roles across product development, licensing, technology and operations before rejoining IGT in 2024.
Since returning, she has rebuilt the company’s global studio operations from the ground up. Under her leadership, she assembled and empowered a studio team with more than 1,200 employees, established shared best practices across studio cultures, and created the operational and creative foundation that positions IGT and Everi for accelerated growth.
“Returning to this organization and helping strengthen our global studio organization has been a meaningful way to close my career,” said Venneman. “I am incredibly proud of our studio teams and the foundation we have created. I am confident Jamie will carry that momentum forward and help unlock the next phase of our growth.”