Our Story

Since 2019, we've helped developers and publishers ship exceptional games, working alongside some of the biggest names in the industry to deliver smooth gameplay, rock-solid performance, and QA that studios trust.

We started in QA, and we're still exceptional at it. But Kudos has grown into a full-service partner, covering functional and compliance testing, co-development, porting, and localisation, all under one roof. We bring specialist support in the areas that matter most: AI, multiplayer, graphics, compliance for every major platform holder. Studios come to us for one service and stay for the rest, because of the high quality service we deliver.

In 2024, under the co-leadership of Dan Atherton and Thouraya Walker, Kudos entered a new chapter of growth. That same year, we opened a second office in Tunisia, giving clients an even more competitive pricing option alongside our UK service, without compromising on quality.

Our UK base remains firmly in Doncaster, and that's a deliberate choice. We invest heavily in our team here, hiring and training games developers and QA engineers, and building technical careers and youth employment in a part of the country that doesn't always get the investment it deserves.

We're small enough to care and big enough to deliver. Every project gets the attention of a close-knit team who treat it like their own, backed by the scale and structure to handle anything from a two-week compliance pass to a full co-development engagement. No project is too big to take on, and none is too small to matter.

Together, our UK and Tunisia teams are setting new standards for quality assurance and development support in gaming.

The Kudos Games Leadership Team

Daniel Atherton

Co-Founder & Co-Chief Executive Officer

Daniel Atherton is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Kudos Games Services. With a background in software engineering, he progressed rapidly to Lead Programmer at Mind Candy during a period of significant growth in the business. 

He has since held senior technical and leadership roles across digital and games, including CTO at digital agency Play. At Kudos, Daniel leads product, technology and creative direction, ensuring the business continues to deliver high-quality, scalable solutions across games QA and digital services. 

Thouraya Walker

Co-Founder & Co-Chief Executive Officer

Thouraya Walker is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Kudos Games Services. A qualified Chartered Accountant, she brings deep financial, operational and strategic expertise built across international financial services and technology businesses. 

Her career spans senior finance and operational leadership roles, including CFO and COO responsibilities, where she has led the scaling of services businesses across multiple markets. Alongside her role at Kudos, Thouraya serves as a Non-Executive Director and Trustee across public and private sector organisations, with a focus on governance, financial oversight and risk management. 

At Kudos she leads commercial strategy, financial discipline and operational scalability, ensuring the business is positioned for sustainable growth. 

David Lilley

Chief Commercial Officer

David Lilley is Chief Commercial Officer at Kudos Games Services, with over three decades of experience across the games and media industries. 

His career spans senior roles in publishing, digital media and events, including leadership positions at Future and Gamer Network/ReedPop. At Kudos, David leads commercial strategy, client engagement and growth, focusing on building long-term partnerships with developers and publishers. 

Michael Hanna

Chief Operating Officer

Michael Hanna is Chief Operating Officer at Kudos Games Services.

Most recently part of the management board at Testronic, Michael brings deep expertise in operational transformation, delivery excellence and international expansion. At Kudos, he is responsible for strengthening delivery capability and scaling the business across both the UK and Tunisia. 

Ann Hurley

Board Advisor

Ann Hurley is a Board Advisor at Kudos Games Services. Most recently General Manager at Team17, she brings extensive experience across commercial strategy, operations and leadership within the games industry. 

Previously, Ann held senior roles at Testronic, where she led commercial operations across Europe. At Kudos, she supports the leadership team in shaping strategy, driving growth and strengthening the company’s position as a high-quality, scalable QA partner.