Greater Liverpool Area
Jonathan Holmes is the Founder and former CEO of Milky Tea Studios, a BAFTA and Emmy-nominated game developer and publisher. With more than 20+ years of experience building teams, securing investment and shipping games across PC, console and mobile platforms, he is currently taking on Fractional Executive Director and Advisory roles focused on Creative Development, Funding & Commercial Growth, and Operations & Production. Jonathan helps game studios build compelling products, high-performing teams and sustainable long-term businesses. Over the course of his career, he secured strategic investment from Tencent and Aonic, developed original IP, built and led award-recognised teams, and delivered projects for global brands including Apple, Sony, BBC, NFL, Lloyds Banking Group, Unilever, P&G, Toyota and Hyundai. Today, he works with founders, leadership teams and investors to help studios overcome challenges, unlock opportunities and accelerate their growth through a combination of hands-on fractional leadership and strategic advisory support. Jonathan is always happy to connect with founders, studio leaders and investors to discuss new opportunities and challenges.
Holm provides Fractional Executive Director and Advisory support to game studios around the world. Jonathan helps video game companies level up, ship successful games and build profitable businesses through creative excellence, high-performing teams and commercial growth. Whether embedded within a business or supporting from the outside, Holm helps founders and leadership teams overcome challenges, unlock opportunities and achieve their goals faster.
Taking time to recharge, reflect on 20+ years the video games and creative industries, and exploring new ideas and opportunities.
As CEO at Milky Tea: My main responsibilities include Executive Creative Direction of all video projects, and the strategy/commercial success of the business.
Between 2005 and 2022, I led Milky Tea’s evolution from a small, work-for-hire creative studio into a fully-fledged, independent games company focused on original IP. My role spanned company strategy, business development and executive creative direction, shaping both the commercial and creative trajectory of the business. I oversaw the transition from producing animation, game assets and digital content into designing, developing and publishing games across PC, console and mobile, while also securing investment from Tencent and Aonic to support that shift. During this evolution I built and maintained a high-profile "work for hire" global client base including Apple, BBC, Channel 4, NFL, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Lloyds Banking Group, Bose, Sony, Unilever, P&G and many others. Operationally, I guided the studio through multiple phases of change, from in-house to remote, and across locations in Liverpool and London, while consistently ensuring projects were delivered to a high creative standard, on time and on budget.
I was one of the three founding partners of Basecamp Liverpool, an independent business incubator created to support emerging creative and digital start-ups in the region. As the first incubator of its kind in Liverpool, Basecamp became a landing place for talented former games-industry professionals who had been made redundant, providing them with the structure, guidance, and community needed to inspire, stabilise, and grow their ventures. Backed by Liverpool Vision and Pacific Stream CIC, Basecamp quickly gained international recognition. In 2010, it was named the 3rd Best Science-Based Incubator in the World for its achievement in combining entrepreneurship with creativity and culture, an award presented at the 9th Annual Conference on Science-Based Incubation by The Technopolicy Network.
Counterline specialise in the design and manufacture of heated and chilled food display equipment and bespoke shop counters. Here it was my role to design and visualise new designs and interior fit outs for brands such as Papa Johns, Pret A Manger, Starbucks, Subway and Hilton Hotels.