Overview

Interactive Ontario (IO) is the not-for-profit trade association advocating for the long-term growth and prosperity of the video game and interactive digital media industry in Ontario. As such, IO’s Advocacy Committee and Task Forces are instrumental to its advocacy efforts.

The Advocacy Committee reports to IO’s board of directors. Its role is to establish and oversee IO’s advocacy strategies. In doing so, the committee creates member-driven  Task Forces that make policy recommendations to the committee on specific advocacy topics.

Committee Chair

Mary Sorrenti

Mary Sorrenti

Vice President, Game Pill & VRGEN

As Vice President of Game Pill, Mary oversees finance, business affairs and production, ensuring her teams stay motivated, and client care remains paramount. As a CPA, Mary spent the first half of her career providing business and tax advice to some of Canada’s most successful enterprises before finding her place in the interactive space in 2011. She has over 15 years of experience leading teams and managing projects from concept to final deliverables. Mary has a love for learning and is always looking to get involved. She has earned a producer certificate, sits on Interactive Ontario’s board of directors, and chairs its Advocacy Committee, helping ensure that the IDM industry has a strong voice.

Committee Members

George Geczy

Co-Founder and Technical Lead, BattleGoat Studios

George Geczy is Co-Founder and Technical Lead of BattleGoat Studios, an independent interactive digital media/video game development studio established in February 2000.  BattleGoat’s releases include a number of successful PC-based strategy games within the “Supreme Ruler” game franchise, sold worldwide through publishers such as Paradox Interactive and independently through Steam.

George has been an advocate for the development and support of digital media studios in Ontario and Canada, and has actively helped organise local industry events as well as participating in industry committees and focus groups.  Through BattleGoat he has worked with local educational institutions and supported talent development through the creation of co-op and student positions.  George has also taught computer science and programming at Mohawk College, and helped create their new Cyber Security diploma program. In the local community, George has volunteered with organisations such as the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, the Hamilton Public Library, the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair, the Hamilton Children’s Aid Society, and many others to help support tech industry development, community initiatives, and youth and children’s development and learning opportunities.  In 2020 George received the Order of Hamilton award as recognition for his community service.

Mark Laframboise

Co-Founder & President, Lightning Rod Games

With over a decade of design and project management experience, Mark Laframboise provides business and creative direction for the team at Lightning Rod Games, an award-winning studio that has been operating remotely throughout Ontario since 2013. The studio’s first commercial project, A Fold Apart, drew inspiration from Mark’s own personal experience with a long-distance relationship and earned him an invitation to speak at the Experimental Gameplay Workshop at GDC in 2017.

A Fold Apart successfully launched on eight platforms in sixteen languages and has received numerous awards and accolades, including winning Best Mobile Game at the 2021 Canadian Game Awards.

Lucie Lalumière

President & CEO, Interactive Ontario

Lucie’s passion for the techno-creative video game and interactive digital media industry started over 20 years ago, when she worked on groundbreaking multimedia projects at Bell. Later on, she led innovative and award-winning teams producing games and interactive content in various strategic roles. Her executive positions include GM French Market at MediaLinx Sympatico (Bell), Executive Director New Media at Radio-Canada, VP & GM Interactive at Corus Entertainment, COO & GM of supersonic MINDS, and Founder & Principal of Lalumiere Media.

Lucie is a staunch advocate for the video game and interactive digital media sector. She is dedicated to helping the industry grow, compete on the global stage, and create leading-edge techno-creative jobs in our communities. Lucie serves on the board of directors of the Canadian Interactive Alliance / L ‘Alliance Interactive Canadienne (CIAIC) and of the Haltech Innovation Centre. She is a member of several advisory committees, including the Screen Industries Research and Training Centre (SIRT) advisory board.

Lucie is the winner of the inaugural WIFT-T Digital Trailblazer Crystal Award (2015). She has a B.Sc. in Management Information Systems from Université de Sherbrooke, an MBA from McGill University completed at New York University (Interactive Telecommunications Program), and an Award of Achievement in Digital Analytics from the University of British Columbia and the Digital Analytics Association.

Julien Lavoie

Director of Corporate Affairs, Ubisoft in Canada

Julien is Director of Corporate Affairs at Ubisoft in Canada. Julien has a long association with the video game industry having worked as Vice-President, Public Affairs for the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) where he advocated on behalf of the sector in Canada. He successfully positioned the industry with decision-makers at the federal and provincial levels and aided member companies with regulatory challenges on the intellectual property, immigration, and skills development fronts.

Julien also honed his skills as an effective public affairs practitioner working for one of Canada’s top consulting firms, helping clients in a variety of sectors to overcome challenging reputational crises. No stranger to the collaborative efforts performed by industry associations, prior to joining the video game industry, Julien worked for trade associations in Ottawa in the industrial and media sectors. A proud Franco-Ontarian from northern Ontario, Julien now lives and works in Toronto.

Jean-Sylvain Sormany

Studio Head, Snowed In Studios Inc.

Jean-Sylvain Sormany is the Studio Head of Snowed In Studios Inc. Graduated from the Polytechnic School of Montreal with a degree in Computer Engineering, Jean-Sylvain was team lead at Ubisoft and Director of Technology for Fuel Industries before co-founding Snowed In Studios in 2010, which is now the largest game development studio in the Ottawa region. He is a 40 under 40 recipient and sits on various advisory boards including OMDC Industry Advisory Committee, the Ottawa Gamedev Collective and Colleges and Universities advisory board.