We’re thrilled to announce Maxime van Steenberghe as Ultra’s new Chief Operating Officer! Maxime’s appointment is a bold move, bringing his entrepreneurial drive and consulting expertise to supercharge Ultra’s exciting 2025 roadmap and revolutionize gaming as we know it.
Gaming is at a turning point, just like film and music once were, demand new models of distribution and engagement and Ultra is ready to seize this opportunity. A key opportunity has presented itself for Europe to strengthen its grip on the industry. At such times, it is imperative for champions to pave the way forward, and Ultra is leading the charge. Maxime’s arrival is another giant leap toward our goal of placing Europe firmly back at the heart of global gaming innovation
Officially stepping into his role on March 24th, 2025, Maxime will champion Ultra’s strategic vision through three key pillars:
- Institutionalization: We’re bridging Web2 and Web3, creating an experience that gamers everywhere will find seamless, intuitive, and immersive.
- Strategic Acquisitions: We’ll strategically bring new life to struggling studios and tech providers, rapidly expanding our library, user base, and platform capabilities, smartly and efficiently.
- Engagement & Retention: Imagine the Netflix of gaming where content is dynamic, and communities thrive. Ultra is building a platform that offers gamers not just games, but a deep, connected gaming experience.
Our CEO, Gus van Rijckevorsel, sums it up perfectly: “Ultra has spent years focusing on R&D to perfect its gaming technology. Under new leadership, we’re now taking over to harness this tech stack best. There is enormous untapped potential, but the European gaming industry has long been stuck in outdated models and without the actors to drive change. The market is ripe for a massive shake-up, and Ultra is leading the charge on that. I’m assembling an elite team to seize this opportunity head-on and create value for gamers, publishers, and developers alike. Maxime is the first of many and with his proven consulting expertise, I’m confident that we can once again place Europe at the nexus of gaming, tech, and Web3.”
Maxime shares his excitement: “I’m thrilled to be working with Gus again. In my past roles, I have seen first-hand how, as a serial entrepreneur, he transforms vision into reality. What Netflix did for the film industry, Ultra will do for gaming. We’re building a platform that will redefine how games are played, shared, and monetized, and I’m excited to drive our bold next chapter with a hand-picked team who are all aligned on the future of gaming. For so long, gamers, publishers, and developers have had to contend with the status quo, but we’re here to change the game.”
Maxime joins Ultra after his time at Circle Strategy, the consulting firm founded by Gus, and brings extensive experience from top-tier firms like McKinsey & Company and Accenture. He’s also an accomplished entrepreneur, known for launching the successful ESG provider Creo² and the rapidly growing retail brand Flemar.
With Maxime on board alongside recent strategic hires like Adrien Moser, Head of Mergers and Acquisitions, Ultra is building the dream team to shape the definitive future of gaming.