Project Manager of the Quarter — April 2019
For a company founded nearly 12 years ago, it’s really saying something when one of our own has just celebrated nine years at ModSquad. And what a ride it has been for our latest honoree! A happily married father of two based in California, we know him best as a conscientious, hard-working Project Manager who always pushes himself to please clients and make projects run smoothly. It gives us great pleasure to introduce our Project Manager of the Quarter, Mike Poe!
Like others here, Mike originally came to ModSquad through his love of gaming. As an avid player, Mike noted with admiration the work done by community managers who strive to develop relationships and create a feeling of belonging on their games’ message boards. When his now-wife, who also shares his passion for gaming, showed him an advertisement for a content moderation position with the company (then known as Metaverse Mod Squad), Mike didn’t hesitate. He sent in his application that night.
As a former business owner with two decades of management experience in the automobile industry, Mike was familiar with assisting the general public, using his creativity to come up with exceptional customer solutions. He used those skills as a Mod for a very popular video game publisher client, eventually applying for and being named Assistant Project Manager and ultimately Project Manager.
Today, Mike is launching a new battle royale game for a popular game studio, among other things. From in-game live-chat moderation to customer service, Mike works with a strong group of Mods to provide services for some of the biggest names in the business (we’d love to name names, but it’d be “Game over, man,” if you get our drift).
I thrive in projects requiring community moderation and social media strategy. I’ve helped clients develop policies and processes that are still being used. Thanks to my time at ModSquad and seeing things from the customer’s perspective, I have a deep understanding of what makes a community thrive. I love being a part of that.
Mike’s goal as a PM is to continue building upon each new success while fostering relationships with clients and everyone at ModSquad. He tells us that he looks forward to growing along with ModSquad and reveals his wish for the video game industry in general:
I hope the industry continues to let their community managers build strong player bases. There’s something special when everything comes together between a community manager and a community. That community becomes much more than names on a message board.
Asked what bit of advice he’d offer future PMs, Mike says communication is key. Reaching out to a client can help build relationships, he notes, just as taking a moment to offer a kind word of support to a moderator can help build them up. Speaking of which, we found a few folks at ModSquad who had some kind words to share about Mike.
“Mike does great work. He’s up for any challenge, he’s super reliable, his clients love him, and he’s a pro at moderating game communities.”
— Jason Ferguson, Sr. Director, Client Services
“I can rely on Mike to get the job done and to get in contact the moment something needs attention. He has great communication with the Mods and is great with clients. He’s happy to help wherever he can, even when he’s pushed for time.”
— Stephen Dunne, Director, Client Services
“Mike consistently performs well on our project. Even if it might be easy to hide behind the scenes, Mike takes the opposite approach.”
— Matt Ramsey, Account Manager