Five Minute Focus On: Valerie Dalton, Zynga

Tell us about yourself

I love to sing. Back in 2006 I took a break from work and went back to college to study jazz. I can be shy about getting up to sing these days, but a few glasses of wine and I’ll never stop.
I’m getting very close to having my first baby, due in April and I’ll be heading off on maternity leave at the end of month. Big change for myself and my husband Rob.

Tell us about Zynga

Zynga are probably best known for the Farmville game which started as a game on Facebook. But we now focus mainly on mobile games, our most popular being Words with Friends and Zynga Poker. But we have over 30 titles. We have studios based in the US, Europe and India. Here in Ireland we focus mainly on Customer Support and Content.

What’s your role in Zynga?

I’ve been working for Zynga for the last 3 years. I started out as the office manager then moved in Business Operations. The role is very varied which is great, I never have the same day twice.

Tell us something about Zynga we may not know

Zynga was named after our founder, Mark Pincus’ bulldog, hence the logo. Zinga (her name was spelt with an i not a y) the dog is sadly no longer with us, but she was legendary in the office. She liked to sit on chairs and eat dinner at the table. She was known for jumping on barstools in the mission district of San Francisco and drinking pints with the humans.

What’s next for Zynga?

Our studio in India has just launched its first, home developed game, Rangoli Rekaha https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zynga.rangoli&hl=en

We have several other new games on the slate for 2018 and are working hard to bring those to our players along with updates for our existing games.

Share your tips on how to create a great company culture

Listening to employees and responding to their needs is my greatest tip. Encouraging an environment where people feel comfortable voicing their opinions and concerns is always something I’ve found helpful when creating a happy, healthy workspace.

What do you like about being a Glandore member?

Being a Glandore member removes some of the burden of facilities management from my shoulders. It allows me to focus on other aspects of my role and I know that staff and the office are being looked after.
Having the organised events is also excellent and it’s great for networking and connecting with other companies.

What do you like about living and working in Dublin?

I love the convenience of Dublin. It’s a perfect size, you’re close to the sea and the mountains and yet right in the middle of a busy city. The people are what really make it though, we’re a diverse, inclusive city with so much to offer. It makes me very proud.

Friday nights in or Friday nights out?

At the moment it’s very much Friday nights in for me I’m afraid. Being 8 and a half months pregnant I’m lucky if I even remember that it is Friday. But I used to love going for ‘just the one’ on Friday night…. I’m sure I’ll be at that again in a year or two.

Zynga connects the world through play. Visit www.zynga.com for more information, or check out Zynga out on socials; Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube