Fred Hasson is to step down from his post as CEO of independent games developer association Tiga.

Tiga was founded in 2001 with 12 independent developer members, and has since grown to include 157 members that include representatives from across the UK. In that time the organisation has lobbied the government for better support of the creative industries in the UK and spearheaded a number of other initiatives and special interest groups.

The hunt is now on for his replacement - Hasson will depart when a successor is found.

“It’s a long period but it’s been, without doubt, the most exhilarating and enjoyable time," said Hasson.

He continued: "The industry is generally not one for collective action, except when it comes to fun, and there have been antagonisms and hostilities to weather during this time. I believe we have achieved much in that time; we have rightly championed the role the development community plays in the success of this industry, crystallized coherent messages to government, and greatly increased the flow of best practice in the industry across a wide range of business and production issues.

I believe Tiga was the inspiration for similar organisations to be formed across Europe and we are proud to be founders and Chair of the effective European Games Developers Federation."

Ian Baverstock, chair of Tiga’s board, said: “Fred’s contribution to Tiga and to the development sector has been huge. Those of us who’ve had the privilege to work with him first hand have seen his passion and enormous experience with government as well as other media sectors add great value to Tiga’s impact in many areas. We know we wouldn’t be where we are today without all his hard work over the last seven years and the board and members would like to thank him for his dedication to promoting the development industry and the member’s interests over that period.”