Leadership

Max Fu – Co-Founder and CEO:

Max Fu is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Nyan Heroes and has a successful track record building brands and communities across digital media, web3, and gaming spaces. In 2021, Max formed the company with digital marketing executive and lifestyle influencer Wendy “Wengie” Huang, who serves as CMO.

In his CEO role, Max has taken the fledgling company to their next phase, having secured $10 million in seed funding from reputable global investors to accelerate the development of Nyan Heroes while growing the team on a global scale with best-in-class talent and a network of strategic partnerships. His vision for their ambitious project aims to challenge public perception of what web3 gaming can be, with a F2P play-to-earn shooter that stands on its own with AAA-quality gameplay, visual fidelity, and balanced competitive multiplayer experiences.

Prior to Nyan Heroes, he served as the COO of Unicorn Pop and collaborated with some of the world’s largest companies: Google, Netflix, and Samsung. Max oversaw operations, strategy, and product development and led multiple teams to execute at a high level. During his tenure, he built digital communities from the ground up, which have grown to 30 million members to date across various platforms, including the YouTube channel which was ranked fastest growing and the most subscribed in Australia in 2019. Before following his passion in the burgeoning technology sector, he went to school to be a surgeon by earning his Bachelor's Degrees in both Medicine and Surgery, where he became the youngest surgical trainee in at the time.

An early adopter of blockchain tech, Max is a web3 native, with five years of experience in the blockchain space as an investor and analyst focusing on infrastructure, scaling solutions, and DeFi. He has built a studio composed of both heavy hitters in the web3 space and veteran game developers from AAA studios including Sony PlayStation, Ubisoft, and Bioware.

Max, 36, earned his medical degree at University of New South Wales, Australia's leading research and teaching institution. He is based in Singapore where he cohabitates with his four cats. In his free time, he continues his work with animal rescue organizations like Best Friends Society. Max supports and regularly donates to Vivita Singapore, a creativity accelerator for kids, and partnered with the organization to create a Roblox Game Development Competition, where youths get to engage with elements of game design and compete for the best game.  Max engages in friendly competition himself while playing his favorite MMOs and first-person shooters. Beyond gaming, Max enjoys tennis and satisfies his love of food with local cuisine.

John Walsh – Development Director

John Walsh is the Development Director of Nyan Heroes and a seasoned industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in the video game industry. He has a passion for video games that started at a young age and has given him the opportunity to live and work in six different countries, including the UK, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Belarus, and France. This enabled John to gain a global perspective and unparalleled expertise in the field.

As Development Director of Nyan Heroes, John applies his unique perspective and hands-on approach to game development, working closely with the design, engineering, art, and audio teams to ensure the best possible gaming experience for players. He has made significant contributions to the industry, having worked on titles such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, World of Tanks, ****Championship Manager, Samurai Jack: The Amulet of Time, and Rocky.

In his spare time, John enjoys spending time with his three sons and his canine companion. He's also passionate about knife throwing and draws inspiration from his colleagues and friends.

Niles Sankey - Design Director

Niles Sankey has over 20 years of experience in the game design industry, having worked at eight studios, shipped nine titles, and founded two independent game development studios. Currently, he is the Design Director of Nyan Heroes. After earning his degree in Computer Systems Engineering, Niles has held various titles during his career in the gaming industry, including Experience Director, Design Lead, Environment Art Lead, Director of Technology, and Studio Director.

He has shipped multiple games for the Halo and Destiny franchises and has led the development of two Bungie game reveals for E3. Niles takes pride in finding the most efficient solutions to difficult problems and has independently shipped games on all major consoles. Additionally, he holds the record for the fastest certification on the PlayStation4, having certified a game in less than 24 hours.

Out of all his roles, Niles' favorite is building and leading small teams of developers. He believes that the most satisfying job in the world is empowering the team around him to succeed.