MEET THE TEAM
Our team comprises over 60 team members from a diverse range of backgrounds, spanning technology, linguistic and creative disciplines. Here are some of the people you’re likely to meet.
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Gregor holds a PhD in Informatics from the University of Edinburgh. Prior to co-founding Speech Graphics, he was a research fellow at the School of Informatics and a senior researcher at the Telecommunications Research Centre, Vienna, where he successfully commercialised a text-to-speech prototype that now powers several government webpages. Gregor co-authored grants worth £1.5M million to fund the commercialisation of technology. In addition to his full-time role at Speech Graphics he is a Supervisory Board member at System Industrie Electronic Holding AG.
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Elizabeth began in the video game industry in 1995, and has shipped titles on almost every platform since, including most flavours of Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo as well as PC, online and mobile games. Her credits include entries in some of the world’s most successful franchises, including Harry Potter, Marvel, Indiana Jones, Destiny, The Sims, Shrek, Gears of War, NBA Live, Star Wars and more. As someone who has spent over 20 years in the game development trenches she understands the tight deadlines and high expectations in the industry. She very much enjoys coordinating and overseeing the delivery of professional services at Speech Graphics to all of our clients.
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With experience in the dynamic world of VFX, film, and television, Kuan joins Speech Graphics as a Senior Producer. Her portfolio includes major productions such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Jurassic World Dominion, Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett series. Skilled in managing complex production schedules and fostering collaborative relationships with clients, she adapts easily to shifting deadlines and ensures smooth project deliveries. Based in Singapore, she manages client coordination for Speech Graphics across Asia.
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Michael is a linguist, speech scientist and software engineer who has been a pioneering expert in the field of speech animation since 1995. He helped develop the first-ever automated talking head and co-authored a book on the subject, later developing state-of-the-art techniques in realistic synthesis of facial dynamics from audio. He previously founded a speech animation research business in the US. He architects Speech Graphics Technology and leads the team to strive ever toward perfection in audio-driven animation.
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Emily has been at Speech Graphics for 4 years, after graduating from Abertay University. Her strong communication skills and deep understanding of real-time animation technologies enable her to provide guidance on best practices and to troubleshoot issues as they arise. She also has a keen eye for detail and ensures that Speech Graphics products continue to push the boundaries of animation technology.
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Dan’s considerable experience in account management and client services roles across the creative and technology sectors means he understands the importance of delivering an exceptional customer experience for our clients - from initial enquiry through to project delivery - and beyond.
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Dimitrios has over 10 years of experience as a software engineer working on CAD software and animation middleware. He focuses on 3D tool development and crafting captivating demos for our facial animation tech. He also assists our customers with seamlessly integrating our technology into their workflows by providing integration samples, Game Engine plugins (i.e. our Unreal Engine 5 plugins for SG Com and SGX Studio), and general technical support.
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Pauline joined Speech Graphics in 2017. Having started her career in Linguistics R&D, she has since brought her unique skills over to the creative side of 3D production. She now leads the creative team and provides a bridge between linguistics and animation, working to bring the most realistic lip syncing to character facial animation. Her work can be seen in many of the recent and soon-to-be-released games where Speech Graphics technology has been utilized. Her credits include entries in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Halo Infinite.
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Lauri is a 3D animator with almost a decade of experience in the video games industry. Through working on a range of different projects, he is experienced in different animation styles, including skills in cinematography, ranging from video games to shorts. In Speech Graphics, Lauri leads a team of animators in the Singapore office, utilizing his skills in character animation during character setup processes to ensure the best results when producing animations using our tools, and also to lead and advise on any and all internal animation projects.
Gregor Hofer (L) & Michael Berger (R), Co-founders of Speech Graphics
COMPANY BACKGROUND
Since 2010, Speech Graphics has been at the forefront of facial animation technology, partnering with the world's leading video game and entertainment studios — including Warner Brothers, Naughty Dog, Electronic Arts, Bandai Namco and Capcom.
Our software produces high-quality facial animation directly from audio, with no motion capture required. Built on more than 20 years of R&D in speech technology and procedural facial dynamics, it gives studios an automated, scalable and cost-effective solution to one of animation's hardest challenges: delivering lip sync with emotionally authentic facial expressions.
Spun out of the University of Edinburgh's world-renowned School of Informatics, Speech Graphics was founded in 2010 by speech technology experts Michael Berger and Gregor Hofer, alongside game industry veteran Colin Macdonald.
The first game to use our facial animation technology, Monolith Studios' Shadow of Mordor (2014), marked the beginning of a track record that now spans some of the biggest and most beloved games ever made — among them The Last of Us Part II, Resident Evil Village, Hogwarts Legacy, Gears of War and Tomb Raider.
Today, we work with 8 of the world's 10 largest AAA publishers and our global team of over sixty people spans offices in Edinburgh, Budapest, Austin, Singapore, China and Japan.
In 2019 we launched Rapport, an interactive AI avatar platform built on Speech Graphics’ award-winning, audio-driven animation technology. Rapport delivers expressive, full-body and facial animation for live, interactive experiences across learning, customer engagement, and immersive environments.
In September 2025, we acquired OC3 Entertainment - the pioneers behind the established FaceFX animation suite. This strategic move allows us to better serve the market through offering a wider range of cutting-edge, innovative and proven solutions.
Our technology has been recognised with a number of prestigious awards, including the John Logie Baird Award for Innovation, an LT-Innovate Award, a Santander Entrepreneurial Award and three TIGA Awards.
And we continue to lead the industry through our programme of innovation and optimisation across our audio-driven animation solutions.
We're not just keeping pace with the industry - we're actively shaping its direction.
JOIN US!
We’re growing. If you’re interested in being part of the team, please visit the Careers page.