Ed Baraf
About Ed Baraf
Ed Baraf is the Director of Operations at Riot Games, with a diverse background in the gaming industry, including roles at companies such as Blue Fang Games, MZ, and Atari. He specializes in product development, particularly in free-to-play and pay-to-win gaming models, and has a strong understanding of ads, social media, and content creation.
Current Role at Riot Games
Ed Baraf serves as the Director of Operations at Riot Games, a position he has held since 2022. In this role, he oversees various operational aspects of the company, leveraging his extensive experience in the gaming industry to enhance productivity and efficiency. His focus includes aligning operational strategies with the company's creative goals.
Previous Experience in the Gaming Industry
Prior to his current role, Ed Baraf held several significant positions in the gaming industry. He worked at AppLovin as a Senior Executive Producer and Product Lead from 2020 to 2022, following the acquisition of MZ, where he served in a similar capacity from 2018 to 2020. His earlier roles include Director of Product Management at Tabula Digita, Inc. and various leadership positions at Blue Fang Games, including Studio Director and Director of Online/Mobile.
Educational Background
Ed Baraf studied at the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese Studies from 1999 to 2003. He furthered his education at the Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies, achieving a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese in 2001-2002. His academic background has contributed to his understanding of cultural nuances in the gaming industry.
Expertise in Gaming Models and Technologies
Ed Baraf possesses expertise in free-to-play (F2P) and pay-to-win (P2W) gaming models, which are crucial in today's gaming landscape. He also specializes in emergent augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies. His knowledge extends to ads, social media platforms, and content creation, which are integral to modern game development and marketing.
Founding and Leadership Roles
Throughout his career, Ed Baraf has taken on various founding and leadership roles. He founded WolverineSoft, where he served as Producer and Designer from 1999 to 2003. He also briefly founded Pencil First Games, LLC in 2014. His leadership experience spans multiple companies, including a role as Vice President at SnapStick, Inc., where he focused on gaming and user growth.