‘Learning is at the Core of Who SciPlay Is’

In the gaming industry, professional development isn’t optional — it’s essential. 

That’s according to Product Manager Brunda Yadavelly. At mobile game development company SciPlay, she and her fellow product managers must stay up to date on the industry’s latest advancements and build up their technical knowledge in order to deliver top-quality products.

“Professional development is crucial in this fast-evolving industry,” Yadavelly said. “With gaming trends and tools constantly changing, it’s important to consistently develop my skills.”

Upskilling employees isn’t just crucial for their engagement and happiness; it’s also a smart business decision. After all, SciPlay wants to do more than build games that work. They want players to stay engaged and keep coming back for more. 

“It is not just about building features — it’s about shaping experiences that keep players engaged,” Product Manager Alexa Chung added. “This requires continuous learning, sharp decision-making and a deep understanding of what drives player behavior.”

Chung explained that she and her fellow product managers grow every day through their work, which involves striking the right balance between players’ needs, technological capabilities and business goals. This daily undertaking is made easier by company leaders who consider it their responsibility to invest in employees’ development and give them the resources and support they need to succeed. 

Vice President of U.S. Games Cameron Stewart is one such leader who embodies this mindset.

“If the people around you are not learning, you eventually stop challenging yourself as a company,” he said. “In such a competitive landscape, stagnation is not an option. Without continuous learning, there is no next step, and without that next step, personal career growth becomes impossible.”

As SciPlay continues to nurture its “next generation of leaders,” as Stewart put it, the company is making it easy for its people — and their potential — to evolve.

Growth in Action

When people ask Yadavelly what her focus area is as a product manager, she often says, “Everything.” 

Since joining SciPlay, she has had the chance to contribute to various workstreams, gaining experience in live operations, monetization and feature development, all of which have offered unique opportunities and challenges to overcome. This broad experience has provided her with insights into the diverse strategies and challenges across different games in the company’s portfolio, which has helped her think more critically and creatively.

“This exposure has been key to developing the broad skill set necessary to succeed in any area of product management,” Yadavelly said.

One of her most rewarding learning experiences occurred while she was learning how to use the data visualization platform Tableau. As Yadavelly took online courses to understand the basics, she started to encounter challenges when creating her own dashboards — but thanks to her supportive coworkers, she was able to overcome them.  

“What stood out at SciPlay during that time was the collaborative environment — no question was too small, and I could always count on subject matter experts to help me overcome obstacles,” she said. “As I practiced, I gained confidence, and this skill enabled me to analyze previously untapped user segments. I could then create more personalized in-game experiences, ultimately delivering valuable insights and contributing to the team’s success.”

“What stood out at SciPlay during that time was the collaborative environment — no question was too small, and I could always count on subject matter experts to help me overcome obstacles.”

Chung acknowledges that true growth occurs through the work she and her peers do every day. Whether it’s refining a feature, optimizing monetization strategies or designing an entirely new event, every project offers her and her colleagues an opportunity to stretch their knowledge and apply new skills, inspiring her to do even more as she continues to grow. 

“I’ve learned to challenge assumptions, refine ideas and focus on what actually delivers value,” Chung said. “Moving forward, I want to keep pushing myself, taking on bigger challenges, leading complex initiatives and creating products that feel effortless and intuitive for players.”

‘Project Rising’

At SciPlay, it’s not just about what you know — it’s about what you have the capacity to learn.

“And that’s what Project Rising is all about,” Stewart said. 

The immersive onboarding program is designed to help new hires quickly build their understanding of social/mobile gaming at SciPlay through hands-on learning, offering exposure to core areas like monetization, product development and analytics. Stewart, who serves as a program mentor, noted that it also enables new hires to connect with various leaders across the company so they can expand their knowledge of the business.

Yadavelly, who participated in the program, said that it allowed her to engage in monthly sessions with leaders, where they focused on key topics to understand the nuances of different strategies and disciplines. Chung added that she had a similarly positive experience as a Project Rising participant and believes that it provided a solid foundation in product management as she transitioned into her role. 

According to Stewart, the ultimate goal of Project Rising is to hire high-potential individuals and teach them everything about the business. He believes that the program will accomplish two things: It will shape the company’s future hiring strategy by establishing a structured interview process focused on identifying critical thinkers with a passion to win; and it will further solidify SciPlay’s organic culture of learning and teaching, with employees naturally sharing knowledge and skills. 

“Many companies evaluate talent based solely on the experience listed on a resume — but we take a different approach,” Stewart said. “We believe in nurturing potential, investing in growth and providing opportunities for individuals to develop their skills and thrive within our organization.”

Support Drives Success

Stewart loves when employees line up outside of his office door to chat with him during the week, as it reflects the strides SciPlay has made in creating a culture that champions the growth of its people. 

“This industry is all about mentorship and paying it forward, and that is what makes my job special every single day,” he said. 

Stewart shared that it’s important for him and the company’s other leaders to guide people toward the right decision rather than simply give them the answer, knowing that true growth comes from figuring things out firsthand. This has certainly come into play for Yadavelly, who has benefited greatly from her mentor, Senior Vice President of Global Data and Analytics Shmuel Ben-Meleh.

Yadavelly shared that Ben-Meleh has been instrumental in her growth at the company, consistently challenging her to step outside of her comfort zone. He was one of the driving forces behind her decision to learn how to build dashboards using Tableau, which empowered her to analyze data and eliminate dependencies on others and while simultaneously enabling her to derive and offer more valuable insights. 

For Chung, having a supportive manager has been critical in her own professional development. She shared that, rather than simply assign tasks that need to be completed, he challenges her to think critically and focus on the “why” behind an assignment, which has helped her see beyond execution and into strategy.

“That approach has made me a sharper, more independent thinker,” she said.

Get Ready to #levelUP

“The best companies don’t just build products — they build people,” Chung said.

She views SciPlay as a company that prioritizes the success of both its people and its products in equal measure, giving employees the freedom to test out ideas — and a support system to fall back on. 

“If you want to work somewhere that values learning, experimentation and pushing boundaries, SciPlay is the place,” Chung said. “The work is challenging, but it’s meaningful. You’ll be surrounded by people who care about making great products and making each other better along the way.”

“If you want to work somewhere that values learning, experimentation and pushing boundaries, SciPlay is the place.”

At SciPlay, connections serve as a springboard for growth, enabling team members to continuously learn from each other. For Yadavelly, this team-oriented approach to professional development is a unique element of the culture that reflects how the company’s leaders put growth at the forefront.

“The culture here inspires me daily, fueling my excitement to contribute and innovate,” she said. “It’s fulfilling to be part of a company where personal and professional development are top priorities, and every opportunity is an invitation to learn, grow and succeed together.”

Simply put, everyone at SciPlay is eager to evolve; so much so that the company champions one of its core values, #levelUP, as a testament to this truth. And with the right support and opportunities in place, the company empowers every team member to do just that — and more.

“Learning is at the core of who we are, and if you are up for the challenge, SciPlay is the place for you,” Stewart said. “If you are ready to #levelUP your career faster than ever before, come learn and grow with us at SciPlay.”