Electronic Arts Chief Creative Director Known for Best-Selling Video Game Speaks at UVA Darden School

20 September 2013

Rich Hilleman, chief creative director for Electronic Arts, spoke at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business on Wednesday, 18 September, as part of its Leadership Speaker Series. The Darden Technology Club sponsored his fireside chat, moderated by Peter Rodriguez, Darden’s senior associate dean for degree programs and chief diversity officer.

Hilleman addressed a crowd of students, faculty and staff, many of whom were video game enthusiasts. They listened as Hilleman described trends in the video game industry, and his approach to leading teams of highly creative people.

“People are people. Figure out how to make them happy — how to make them realize their dreams,” said Hilleman. “Figure out how to make what you want to do align on a path to that. You’d be amazed at who you can get to work for you,” he added. He described how he meets the challenge of leading groups of imaginative game developers and producers on projects.

Hilleman is best known for his work on the original Madden Football game for Electronic Arts’ video game consoles. In the early 1990s he worked in product development for the company. Later, Hilleman became vice president in charge of production.

In addition to his current role, Hilleman works in the internal University at Electronic Arts, providing specialized education for producers and development directors. He also serves on the board of directors of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
Following his talk, Hilleman held a workshop for students interested in learning more about the technical side of video gaming.

About the University of Virginia Darden School of Business

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business prepares responsible global leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences. Darden’s graduate degree programs (MBA, MSBA and Ph.D.) and Executive Education & Lifelong Learning programs offered by the Darden School Foundation set the stage for a lifetime of career advancement and impact. Darden’s top-ranked faculty, renowned for teaching excellence, inspires and shapes modern business leadership worldwide through research, thought leadership and business publishing. Darden has Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Washington, D.C., area and a global community that includes 18,000 alumni in 90 countries. Darden was established in 1955 at the University of Virginia, a top public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

 

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