Wikipedia

Ray Muzyka

Raymond Alexander MuzykaCMis aCanadianinvestor,entrepreneurandphysician.Originally trained as a medical doctor and practicing as an emergency department and family physician after graduation, he is the co-founder ofvideo game developerBioWare,and wasCEO,senior vice president, and general manager of the BioWare label ofElectronic Arts.[2][3]In October 2012 he announced that he was embarking on a 'third career' mentoring andangel investingin technology, new media, medical and social entrepreneurs, andimpact investingat ThresholdImpact.[4][5]

Ray Muzyka
CM
Muzyka at interview byG4TVatE32011
Born
Raymond Alexander Muzyka

Edmonton,Alberta,Canada
NationalityCanadian
Other namesRaymond Muzyka
Known forFounder ofBioWare
AwardsAIASHall of Fame Award (2011)[1]

Career

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Muzyka co-foundedBioWare,which was incorporated in 1995, with Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip, in the early 1990s after they earned their medical degrees at theUniversity of Alberta.[6][7]After selling BioWare toElectronic Artsin 2008, Muzyka became a general manager and vice president at EA in addition to his CEO role at BioWare, and subsequently was promoted to senior vice president and general manager of the BioWare label at EA.

In addition to his project development role, Muzyka has also managed the financial, human resources, operations, marketing and legal business side of BioWare, and he completed his executive Masters in Business Administration (MBA) program in 2001 at theIvey School of Business,UWO.[8]He completed his Medical Doctorate (MD) in 1992 from theUniversity of Alberta,and subsequently obtained his specialization from the Canadian College of Family Physicians (CCFP) in 1994.[9]Muzyka was named as one of Canada's "Top 40 under 40"[10]in 2001, received Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year award (Software and Information, Prairies) in 2001,[11]and the BDC Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 1997.[11]Muzyka also graduated from Old Scona Academic High School in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada where he took theInternational Baccalaureateprogram, finishing fourth worldwide and first in North America the year he graduated.[12]Muzyka was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame in 2011.,[13]received the Lifetime Achievement award from the International Game Developers Choice Awards in 2013,[14]and was named as the 2017 Allard Chair in Business at MacEwan University.[15]He was named into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame in 2018.[16]On December 27, 2018, Muzyka was appointed to theOrder of Canada.[17]In 2019 Muzyka received the Rod Charko Service Award from the Venture Capital Association of Alberta for his service to the startup entrepreneurial community in the province of Alberta.[18]

Muzyka is an active member of theYoung Presidents' Organization(YPO),[19]and a Charter Member of the A100 since 2012.[20]He has also served as the Founding Chair of theUniversity of AlbertaVenture Mentoring Service since fall 2013,[21]a program intended to help develop, uplift and inspire University of Alberta student and alumni entrepreneurs by creating excellent mentorship experiences for both entrepreneurs and mentors.[22]Muzyka served from 2014 to 2020 as a member of theUniversity of AlbertaBoard of Governors, and as Chair of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee.[23]He serves as a mentor in theCreative Destruction Lab(CDL West Prime and Health, CDL Rockies Prime, CDL Toronto Health).[24]Muzyka was a board member of theAcademy of Interactive Arts and Sciencesfrom 2001 to 2008. He also served theStollery Children's HospitalFoundation as a volunteer Director on their Board of Trustees from 2012 to late 2015.[25]

In October 2012 Muzyka announced on the BioWare website that he was retiring from the video game industry and that he is moving on to a 'third career chapter', mentoring and investing in entrepreneurs in technology, new media, medical innovation, and social entrepreneurs andimpact investing.[4][2]He announced his new company, Threshold Impact,[5]in early 2013, to be focused on "sustainable, profitable impact investing".[26]

An avid poker player who plays in theWSOPand other events each year, Muzyka won the inaugural DICE poker tournament,[27]in 2006 which featured a range of notable poker celebrities such asScott Fischman,Chris FergusonandPerry Friedman,playing heads-up withMike MorhaimefromBlizzard Entertainmentat the final table. He also became the only player thus far to win the DICE tournament twice, when he chopped the final table with three other players for first place again in the 2010 DICE tournament. He competed in the 2008 WCPC CPT Main Event (Western Canadian Main Event, Canadian Poker Tour) and chopped the final table with the final four players to take home the 2008 WCPC ring. He finished 374th of 7319 players in the 2010 Main Event of the WSOP.

BioWare projects credited with platforms and dates

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Awards and recognition

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In 2009, he was chosen byIGNas one of the top 100 game creators of all time alongside BioWare co-founderGreg Zeschuk.[32]

At theGame Developers Choice Awards,on March 27, 2013, Muzyka was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.[33]

On December 27, 2018, Muzyka was appointed to the Order of Canada.[17]

References

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  1. ^"D.I.C.E Special Awards".Retrieved22 January2017.
  2. ^abRay Muzyka (2012)."From Ray Muzyka".BioWare.Retrieved2012-09-18.
  3. ^BioWare (2012)."Ray Muzyka & Greg Zeschuk Retire".BioWare.Retrieved2012-09-18.
  4. ^abBioWare Community Team (18 September 2012)."From Ray Muzyka".bioware.com.
  5. ^ab"Threshold Impact".
  6. ^Onstad, Katrina (October 23, 1999). "The West's new Gold Rush: Two young Edmonton doctors who created the Baldur's Gate phenomenon plot their next move: Doctors with an obsession for video games have created Baldur's Gate – a game that's selling feverishly",National Post,p. 2.
  7. ^Ewalt, David M."Obsessed With Imagination: BioWare's Co-Founders On Storytelling And The Future Of Mass Effect".Forbes.Retrieved2023-04-14.
  8. ^"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-07-14.Retrieved2013-07-21.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^"Physician Profile".Cpsa.ab.ca. Archived fromthe originalon 2014-07-14.Retrieved2014-06-06.
  10. ^"Recipients 2001"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2011-09-05.Retrieved2013-01-12.
  11. ^ab"High Score".Alberta Venture. 2002-01-19. Archived fromthe originalon 2014-07-14.Retrieved2014-06-06.
  12. ^"Ray Muzyka's Next Chapter".New Trail. 2014-05-12. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-07-24.Retrieved2015-07-23.
  13. ^"BioWare Founders Inducted Into AIAS Hall Of Fame".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-12-08.Retrieved2012-04-08.
  14. ^"Game Developers Choice Awards | Archive | Lifetime Achievement".Gamechoiceawards.com. 1997-10-04.Retrieved2014-06-06.
  15. ^"Allard Chair in Business - MacEwan University".
  16. ^"Dr. Ray Muzyka - Junior Achievement".janorthalberta.org.Archived fromthe originalon 2018-10-25.
  17. ^ab"Governor General announces 103 new appointments to the Order of Canada".21 December 2018. Archived fromthe originalon 19 November 2019.Retrieved27 December2018.
  18. ^"6th Annual Rod Charko Service Award Winner".vcaa.ca. 2019-11-08.Retrieved2020-06-18.
  19. ^"Username / Password Sign In".ypowpo.org.[permanent dead link‍]
  20. ^"Raymond Muzyka".The A100. 2012-09-18. Archived fromthe originalon 2014-07-02.Retrieved2014-06-06.
  21. ^"Gaming guru helps students level up – News & Events".News.ualberta.ca. 2013-11-06. Archived fromthe originalon 2014-02-14.Retrieved2014-06-06.
  22. ^Canada."UAlberta Venture Mentoring Service – Alumni and Friends".Alumni.ualberta.ca.Retrieved2014-06-06.
  23. ^"University Governance"(PDF).www.ualberta.ca. 2015-01-22.Retrieved2015-01-28.
  24. ^"From the ER to the Video Game Hall of Fame: Ray Muzyka of BioWare on Building a World Class Organization".creativedestructionlab.com. 2018-11-18.Retrieved2018-12-08.
  25. ^"About Us".Stollerykids.com. 2012-09-18. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-12-21.Retrieved2014-06-06.
  26. ^"About".Threshold Impact.4 September 2012.
  27. ^"BioWare Joint CEO Snags Grand Prize in D.I.C.E. Poker Tournament".Archived fromthe originalon February 3, 2008.
  28. ^"Sega Announces BioWare Will Create Sonic Role Playing Game For Nintendo DS".2007-06-21. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-06-25.Retrieved2016-09-25.
  29. ^ab"Dragon Age Inquisition".Dragonage.com.Retrieved2014-06-06.
  30. ^ab"Mass Effect".Mass Effect.Retrieved2014-06-06.
  31. ^"Star Wars: The Old Republic".Swtor.com.Retrieved2014-06-06.
  32. ^"IGN - 28. Greg Zeschuk & Ray Muzyka".IGN.Archived fromthe originalon 2014-04-20.Retrieved2023-11-26.
  33. ^Makuch, Eddie (11 February 2013)."BioWare founders getting Lifetime Achievement Award".Gamespot. Archived fromthe originalon 11 April 2013.Retrieved12 February2013.
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