TL;DR
Play games on Amazon Luna for your next adventure, included with Prime
- A rotating selection of games, no download needed
- Play on TV, laptop or phone
- Fast, free delivery for your gear, too
Interior/Night studio head Charu Desodt has been appointed chair of the BAFTA Games Committee, succeeding Tara Saunders. Desodt has more than 25 years of games industry experience and joined Interior/Night in 2018. BAFTA also appointed three other committee chairs to its Board of Trustees.
Interior/Night studio head Charu Desodt has been appointed chair of the BAFTA Games Committee, taking over from former Larian studio head Tara Saunders as BAFTA changes several committee leadership roles. The appointment places an experienced games production leader at the head of the committee responsible for BAFTA’s work in games.
Desodt has more than 25 years of experience in the games industry, including senior production positions at Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Preloaded. She is also a member of the UK Video Games Council. Her career spans development and production roles as well as industry representation.
She joined Interior/Night in 2018 as production director and became studio director in December 2022. Desodt succeeds Saunders, who has moved to Lego Digital Play as a senior people partner. Saunders said her tenure as Games Committee chair and as a BAFTA trustee was coming to a close after 10 years of involvement with the organisation.
Desodt is one of three newly appointed committee chairs elected to BAFTA’s Board of Trustees. Hilary Rosen, UKTV’s director of commissioning, becomes Chair of the Academy, succeeding Sara Putt for a three-year term. Caroline Levy has been appointed chair of the Television Committee, while Nahrein Kemp, ITV’s DEI and talent lead, will chair the Learning, Inclusion, and Talent Committee.
BAFTA Games · Leadership Update
Charu Desodt Appointed Chair of BAFTA Games Committee
The Interior/Night studio head succeeds Tara Saunders, bringing more than 25 years of games industry experience to the role.
A games leader takes the chair
Desodt will lead BAFTA’s Games Committee as part of a wider change in committee leadership. The announcement describes a leadership appointment, without outlining a new games strategy.
Games Committee Chair
Desodt succeeds Tara Saunders in the role guiding BAFTA’s work in games.
Across the industry
Her senior production roles include Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Preloaded.
Wider industry links
Desodt is also a member of the UK Video Games Council, connecting her work to a broader industry body.
From production to studio leadership
Her path spans major publishers, production work and leadership at the independent studio Interior/Night.
25+ years
Games industry experience across development and production.
Interior/Night
Joined the studio as production director.
Studio director
Moved into the studio director role.
Committee chair
Appointed to lead the Games Committee, succeeding Saunders.
Three other chairs join the board
The appointments span the Academy, Television, Learning, Inclusion, and Talent, alongside Games.
Hilary Rosen
UKTV’s director of commissioning succeeds Sara Putt as Chair of the Academy for a three-year term. Ade Rawcliffe and Andrew Miller are deputy chairs.
Caroline Levy
Appointed chair of the Television Committee.
Nahrein Kemp
ITV’s DEI and talent lead will chair the committee.
A decade of service concludes
Saunders leaves the BAFTA role after 10 years of involvement with the organisation and has joined Lego Digital Play.
“As my tenure as chair of the BAFTA Games Committee and member of the BAFTA Board of Trustees comes to a close, I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who made this journey so unforgettable over the last 10 years.”
Tara Saunders · outgoing Games Committee chair
Lego Digital Play
Saunders has moved to the company as a senior people partner, according to the announcement.
Key details remain open
The available announcement confirms the succession, but does not set out several practical details about Desodt’s chairmanship.
No start date was specified for Desodt’s appointment.
No term length was given. Rosen’s three-year term applies to her Academy chair role.
No new priorities, membership details or work programme were announced.
Games Leadership at BAFTA
The appointment gives the Games Committee a chair with experience across major publishers, production, and independent studio leadership. That background is relevant to a committee representing games within an academy that works across screen industries and recognises creative achievement through its awards and other activities. Desodt’s membership of the UK Video Games Council also connects her work to a wider industry body.
BAFTA’s committee chairs help guide the organisation’s work in their respective areas and sit within its governance structure. The Games Committee’s leadership can shape how BAFTA engages with games professionals and supports recognition of work across the sector. However, the announcement does not set out a new games strategy or specific policy changes, so the appointment should be understood as a leadership change rather than a stated shift in BAFTA’s priorities.
Products Worth Considering
Samsung 32-Inch Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SH) 4K Gaming Monitor
LG 34GX90SA-W 34-inch Ultragear WQHD OLED Curved Gaming Monitor
LG UltraGear 32GX850A-B 32-Inch 4K UHD Glossy OLED Gaming Monitor
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Desodt’s Route to the Role
Desodt’s appointment follows her progression at Interior/Night, where she joined as production director in 2018 and took on the studio director role in December 2022. Before that, she held senior production roles at Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Preloaded. The reported experience gives her work across different kinds of games organisations, rather than a career limited to one studio or publisher.
Her predecessor, Tara Saunders, had served as Games Committee chair and as a member of BAFTA’s Board of Trustees. Saunders described her BAFTA involvement as a 10-year journey and thanked those who had contributed to it. She has since joined Lego Digital Play as a senior people partner, according to the announcement.
The committee change is part of a broader set of appointments. Rosen succeeds Sara Putt as Chair of the Academy and is set to serve a three-year term, with Ade Rawcliffe and Andrew Miller as deputy chairs. Levy and Kemp take leadership of the Television and Learning, Inclusion, and Talent committees respectively. BAFTA has not provided equivalent term information for Desodt in the details available.
“As my tenure as chair of the BAFTA Games Committee and member of the BAFTA Board of Trustees comes to a close, I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who made this journey so unforgettable over the last 10 years.”
— Tara Saunders, outgoing BAFTA Games Committee chair
Term and Priorities Not Detailed
The announcement does not specify when Desodt’s appointment takes effect, how long she will serve, or whether BAFTA plans to change the Games Committee’s priorities. It also does not detail the committee’s membership, its upcoming work programme, or any specific initiatives Desodt intends to pursue. Those details should not be inferred from her appointment alone.
BAFTA has identified Saunders’s departure and Desodt’s succession, but has not described any overlap or handover arrangements. The stated three-year term applies to Rosen’s role as Chair of the Academy; no matching term was given for Desodt.
BAFTA’s Committee Work Ahead
Desodt will take over leadership of the Games Committee as BAFTA’s newly appointed chairs begin their roles. The next developments to watch for are BAFTA’s announcements about committee priorities, forthcoming activities and any details on Desodt’s term. No specific programme or start date for her chairmanship has been announced in the information available.
BAFTA’s broader leadership appointments also put Rosen, Levy and Kemp in their respective committee roles, while Rosen’s Academy chair term is set for three years. Further information from BAFTA would clarify how the new leadership group plans to carry forward its work across games and the other screen disciplines.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
Key Questions
Who has BAFTA appointed as Games Committee chair?
Charu Desodt, studio head at Interior/Night, has been appointed chair of the BAFTA Games Committee.
Who did Desodt succeed?
Desodt succeeds Tara Saunders, the former Larian studio head. Saunders has joined Lego Digital Play as a senior people partner.
What experience does Desodt bring to the role?
She has more than 25 years of industry experience, including senior production roles at Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Preloaded. She joined Interior/Night in 2018 and became studio director in December 2022.
Has BAFTA announced Desodt’s term or plans for the committee?
No term length, effective date or specific Games Committee plans were included in the announcement. The three-year term stated for Hilary Rosen applies to her role as Chair of the Academy, not Desodt’s committee chair appointment.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
