Exceptional Women Out West: Amy Small, global head of VR, Framestore LA - a podcast by TheDrum

Having a five-year plan isn’t always essential to your career. So says Amy Small, Global Head of VR at Framestore.

Small has thrived in her career by being open to new opportunities as they have arisen, and those opportunities haven’t always been about advancement or promotions. Sometimes it has been the lateral moves that have proven most rewarding.

Small is all about the journey, about having a satisfying and successful career. The Penn State graduate started as an intern at Disney before moving on to be a manager and director with companies such as THQ and Brash Entertainment. Small got into the interactive category with Victory Games, part of EA Games, then Skyrocket Toys before going into consulting and ultimately to her current position with Framestore, where she looks to expand past traditional gaming into the VR realm.

Small has a love of new business models, and she sees VR as the wild west of technology, where she can help build from the ground up. Unlike some in the tech world, this only child is an extrovert who loves people and loves to travel. Travel sometimes puts her in uncomfortable situations, which lets her rely on her judgment and can be rewarding.

Relying on people is another point she brings up as important – weighing dependents and independents and creating successful teams. Mentoring can be a strength if you find the right mentor. And even though she works all the time, she sees the need to unplug a bit to get refreshed.

As a woman in a mostly male-dominated industry, Small sees the importance in loving what you do, in thinking sometimes way outside the box, and in taking that professional journey to get to a satisfying place, both personally and professionally.

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