Throughout the month of February, Zynga is honoring Black History Month by spotlighting employees who work in all divisions of the business to make our products as inclusive and diverse as the people who play our games every day.

This week, we spoke with Evette Love! Based in Zynga’s Chicago office, Evette is the Senior Manager of our VIP Slots Division. Passionate about team management and coaching, Evette is responsible for monitoring the VIP programs, driving expansion and best practices within various game teams, and developing customer service strategies to ensure that the VIP player experience is exceptionally positive and personalized.

Read on to learn more about Evette’s journey through her career in tech, her perspective on the importance of relationship-building within gaming and her thoughts on Zynga’s diversity and equality initiatives driving empowerment within the organization. 

What is your role within Zynga and how did you get here?

I am the Senior Manager of VIP Slots Division. I got here by remaining consistent and treating our players with the utmost courtesy and respect.

Tell us how you came to Join Zynga.

I found Zynga through a job posting on LinkedIn back in 2014 for a VIP Account Manager position. I almost did not apply because I thought it would be too entry-level based on my previous management experience however after understanding more about what the role entailed, I then started praying I would land the job.

How did you come to work at Zynga?

The VIP Department was a new unit for Zynga in 2014 and at the time, there were only 4 Account Managers including myself who worked in the unit. I remember my first day like it was yesterday, as Gemma our VP told me she had plans to grow the business and asked if I would like to be a part of this team. I was super excited to learn all about the gaming industry and connect with the players.

Since starting with Zynga, how has your own growth and development progressed?

My growth and development took off due to the expansion of our department, player base and my hard work. As more games came onboard requiring VIP Management, we needed more VIP Account Managers which meant we needed a Team Manager. My career has been about ensuring our players never forget me and make sure they want to play the game every day.

As Maya Angelou once said, “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I was born with the gift of gab and as a result, I make our players feel special. Players want to hear a warm friendly voice on the line when they encounter a problem. They then trust you and know you will take care of their needs. I understood early on in my career that the player is the most important – they are the VIP.

How would you describe the people within Zynga?

People within Zynga are like a family. It’s nothing like working at a huge corporation where you are essentially just a number. We spend a lot of time working together, so you get to know everyone pretty well. When folks from other Zynga locations come to the Chicago Office to work, we make it our business to show them the city and make them feel like part of the Chicago Family.

Tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to Zynga.

I worked many years at Verizon Wireless as a Tech Support Manager. Managing and coaching others has been my career choice as I am passionate about seeing people grow and develop.  This role has allowed me to put my wireless skills to the test with our VIPs because if someone has problems on a mobile device, I can use my previous experience to assist and coach my team on how to do the same.

What would someone be surprised to learn about your company or profession?

People connect because of a love they have for the game, however someone may be surprised to learn relationship-building in gaming is real. Our VIPs know you are their voice to the game developers and want to share valuable input.

Tell me about the future of “VIP”.

The future of VIP is reaching more players in our international markets. Having Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells in VIP management, we need to be prepared for expansion and providing service in different languages so we see continued growth year over year.

What are you most proud of working on the game?

We have new players daily that cross threshold and become VIPs. I am most proud of the team we have in place to not only take care of the player’s needs, but to do a great job making these players offers they cannot refuse and retain them to play Zynga’s games forever. I get most excited when I talk to a VIP on the phone and they say one of our VIP Account Managers exceeded their expectations. It lets me know we have the right people in the right positions.

Do you have any mentors or leaders that have helped or inspired you throughout your career?

Gemma Doyle, VP of our PSO Org, is a true leader and mentor that I admire. Her work ethic and vast leadership skills have tremendously helped me overcome tough hurdles as we watched our department grow. Witnessing how this woman not only pitches a good pitch but has awesome follow-through and delivery is inspiring.

What does it mean to you to be a woman in technology and gaming?

I am honored to be a woman of color working in gaming. Having the opportunity to show a young woman that hard-work pays off is a true blessing. I remember a mentor of mine once said, “Each one reach and teach one.” This is a motto I strive to live by.

What is Zynga doing to empower persons of color in the workplace?

Zynga funding our BZU (Black Zynga Union) community for employees of color and their allies shows they not only care but that they are aware. Some companies are afraid to branch out and allow awareness to really surface. It makes me feel proud to work for a company that embraces equality and diversity. Our CEO appointing a Chief Diversity Officer in our organization also tells me that Zynga wants us to know we are empowered.