Physics Tools Provider Havok Appoints New Managing Director

With Havok managing director David O'Meara stepping down in June, the Irish physics middleware company found a replacement in six-year Havok employee David Coghlan, the company said Tuesday. Coghlan has been with Intel-owned Havok since 2004 and served in senior positions at the firm, whose products have been licensed in games ranging from Halo to the film The Matrix. Intel SVP and Havok chair Renee James called Coghlan a "key contributor to the success and growth of Havok" since his time at the company. Coghlan, whose new position is effective in June, is also a member of the company's board. James added, "Intel is committed to maintaining Havok’s status as an independent subsidiary, because it is clear that this structure gives the company the financial and operating independence to continue to innovate and be successful in the games industry." Havok was founded in 1998 in Dublin, Ireland, and Intel purchased the company in 2007. O'Meara, who had been with the company since 2003, recently said he'd be leaving the firm to "pursue other business interests." He'll stay on board as managing director until June. "I look forward to leading Havok through the next stage in its growth and I am excited by the opportunity to expand the reach of the Havok product line into new gaming genres, new hardware platforms, emerging geographic markets and adjacent industries," Coghlan said in a statement. Prior to Havok, he was director of corporate strategy for Elan Corporation, a biotech company. Havok's tools include Havok A.I., Havok Animation, Havok Behavior, Havok Cloth, Havok Destruction and Havok Physics. The company said that its products can be found in around 270 games across various platforms.