Hemal Thaker

Hemal Thaker is a renowned professional in the gaming and interactive entertainment industry, currently holding the position of Managing Director and Global Head of Gaming & Interactive Entertainment Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs.

With a vast amount of experience, Hemal has been instrumental in advising top game developers, publishers, and platforms across various gaming segments including PC, console, and mobile on some of the industry's largest strategic and capital markets transactions.

His expertise spans strategic M&A activities where he has managed notable sell-side transactions for companies like Asmodee, Crystal Dynamics-Eidos, Gearbox, Glu Mobile, Rovio, Scopely, Sumo Group, Vungle, ZeniMax, Zynga, among others.

Hemal's strategic involvements also extend to the defense of Unity against AppLovin and various buyside transactions for companies such as CVC, Haveli, Microsoft, Savvy Games, Unity, Netflix, ESL FaceIT, and Take-Two.

Furthermore, he has been actively involved in strategic investments including those by KIRKBI (Lego) in Epic Games, NetEase in Embracer Group, Savvy Games in Embracer Group, Netflix in Studio Dragon, and Tencent in Ubisoft.

His track record also includes overseeing public listings such as the direct listing of Roblox, IPOs of Corsair, Playtika, and Unity, as well as the SPAC listing of ironSource.

In the realm of public financings, Hemal has managed various convertible and debt offerings for companies like Ubisoft, Unity, Zynga, Disney, Electronic Arts, Netflix, Playtika, and Roblox, as well as equity follow-ons for AppLovin, Corsair Gaming, Embracer Group, Glu Mobile, and Paradox Interactive.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Hemal Thaker's passion lies in the convergence of technology and entertainment, evident through his active participation as an avid console gamer and public equity market investor.

He pursued his education with a Master of Engineering in Materials Science, Economics & Management from the University of Oxford, solidifying his academic foundation for his successful career in the finance and gaming sectors.

Previously, Hemal held key positions within Goldman Sachs, serving as Managing Director in the Global Head of Gaming & Interactive Entertainment Investment Banking, with prior roles in Internet & Media Investment Banking and UK M&A divisions.