Sign In

Jing W.

VP, Product @ Fortis | ex founder, Riot, Phoenix Labs

Jing Wang is the VP of Product at Fortis Games, a US-based game developer and publisher.1 She is a seasoned gaming executive with over 15 years of experience in the industry, spanning roles in product management, business operations, design, and brand management.

Career Highlights

Jing joined Fortis Games in January 2023 as the Head of Strategic Programs.5 She was later promoted to VP of Product, a role in which she focuses on building the company's creative culture and overseeing product development.13

Prior to Fortis, Jing held several notable positions:

  • Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Bot School Inc, which was later acquired by Phoenix Labs
  • Product Lead for Dauntless at Phoenix Labs, where she led in-game events and social feature design
  • General Manager of Phoenix Labs' Los Angeles studio
  • Acting General Manager of Phoenix Labs' San Mateo studio

Experience and Expertise

Jing has worked with major players in the gaming industry, including Riot Games and Nintendo. Her interdisciplinary background allows her to thrive in working with cross-functional teams.4 At Fortis, she is part of a leadership team focused on creating meaningful social experiences through interactive entertainment.2

Education

Jing is an alumna of the University of Southern California, where she studied Public Relations and Natural Sciences.

Current Role at Fortis Games

As VP of Product at Fortis, Jing is part of a company that aims to build games where players feel they belong, made by people who want to belong.3 Fortis Games, founded in 2022, is working on creating worlds that connect people and provide engaging experiences for thousands of hours of gameplay.2

Jing's role involves collaborating with other senior leaders like Steven Chiang (President) and Shawn Foust (COO) to navigate the challenges of building a global remote gaming studio.2 Her expertise in product management and strategic planning is crucial as Fortis works towards introducing its games to the world.1

Highlights

Jan 10 · linkedin

Today, I kicked off a new journey as Head of Strategic Programs at Fortis Games.

After a year of focusing on personal projects, I’m thrilled to be working with Steven Chiang, Shawn Foust, Calvin Lau, and Carol L. (finally!!) to grow a global, remote-first team focused on creating games where you belong.

One thing I kept coming back to during sabbatical was a desire to work on and help build an effective remote-first organization.

I’ve worked remotely for years, but it’s been in orgs where the core team is co-located. Even as the pandemic abruptly shifted orgs into remote work, most practices and tools we relied on were virtual adaptations of what we did in person — video calls instead of IRL meetings, digital whiteboarding instead of in a conference room, etc. Solid proxies using good tools, but not designed from their essence to help teams connect and collaborate effectively when comprised of folks from different timezones, cultures, languages, and experiences.

I have a healthy respect for orgs that continue to invest in co-located work — it’s a better fit for some companies’ strategies and teams. I also thrived in working and building connection in person. But as I continued to reflect, I realized that being part of building a strong remote-first org is where I’m most excited to learn, explore, and grow next.

Enter Fortis.

Fortis made a call at its founding — it would be global and remote-first. From my first conversations with Carol, Shawn, Steve, and Calvin, it was clear that the org is committed to embracing both the opportunities and challenges that come with designing an entire company with those in mind. We have folks working from 12 countries around the world — on just my first day, I met or exchanged messages with folks on two other continents.

I can’t wait to dig in with this team on how we grow a strong and thoughtful Fortis culture and scale effective Design Lane practices across a diverse group of developers.

And if you want to learn more about how Fortis thinks about its remote-first people approach, check out the post Shawn Foust shared last year: https://lnkd.in/gfTeCHpD

Jan 15 · linkedin

Today's a bittersweet day -- I'm saying a "goodbye for now" to the tremendous team at Phoenix Labs, as I head off to focus on personal projects.

PHXL is a special place, with some of the best developers and humans I've ever worked with. I've learned and grown so much since joining the team in 2019. So much happened!

  • We spun up two US studios and multiple new game efforts
  • We grew our teams while keeping talent density (and "good human" density) high
  • We won "best place to work" in the US (and Canada) on GI Biz

Even moreso, the memories that stand out to me are the countless daily interactions with my fellow Lobsters🦞s. I was surrounded by great humans who are stellar in their craft, and who default to working together, helping, and supporting each other.

As for what's next: after a break, I'm taking the next ~6 month to tackle personal projects that let me exercise a variety of skills in art, UX/UI, and engineering. I'll be rapidly experimenting, failing, and learning a hell of a lot.

More to come on this, but I'm super excited.

I want to thank my friends at PHXL for their love and support -- Jesse Houston, Sean Bender, Jeanne-Marie Owens, Aurélia Laff, Ian Johnson, Hunter Howe, Nick Livingston, Omar Kendall, Niko L., Isaac Epp, Nick Clifford, Sokesei Chhim Corbet, Matt Westhoff, T. Carl Kwoh, and so, so many others.

I'll miss working with you, and will be cheering you on!

Related Questions

What are Jing Wang's key achievements at Phoenix Labs?
How did Jing Wang transition from Phoenix Labs to Fortis Games?
What projects is Jing Wang currently working on at Fortis Games?
What is Jing Wang's educational background?
How has Jing Wang's career evolved over the past 15 years?
Jing W.
Jing W., photo 1
Jing W., photo 2
Add to my network

Location

Los Angeles, California, United States