Raymond Alexander Muzyka CM is a Canadian investor, entrepreneur, and physician. He received training as a medical doctor and worked as an emergency department and family physician after completing his education. He is the co-founder of the video game company BioWare and held positions as CEO, senior vice president, and general manager of the BioWare label at Electronic Arts. In October 2012, he announced he was starting a new career path focused on mentoring and providing financial support to technology, new media, medical, and social entrepreneurs through ThresholdImpact.

Career

Muzyka helped start BioWare, which was formed in 1995, with Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip in the early 1990s. They earned their medical degrees at the University of Alberta before starting the company. After selling BioWare to Electronic Arts in 2008, Muzyka became a general manager and vice president at EA, in addition to his role as CEO at BioWare. Later, he was promoted to senior vice president and general manager of the BioWare label at EA.

Muzyka managed many areas of BioWare, including finances, human resources, operations, marketing, and legal matters. He completed his Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in 2001 at the Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario. He earned his Medical Doctorate (MD) in 1992 from the University of Alberta and completed his specialization with the Canadian College of Family Physicians (CCFP) in 1994. Muzyka was named one of Canada's "Top 40 under 40" in 2001, received Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year award (Software and Information, Prairies) in 2001, and the BDC Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 1997. He graduated from Old Scona Academic High School in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he participated in the International Baccalaureate program and finished fourth worldwide and first in North America in his graduating year. Muzyka was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame in 2011, received the Lifetime Achievement award from the International Game Developers Choice Awards in 2013, and was named the 2017 Allard Chair in Business at MacEwan University. He was inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame in 2018. On December 27, 2018, Muzyka was appointed to the Order of Canada. In 2019, he received the Rod Charko Service Award from the Venture Capital Association of Alberta for his work supporting entrepreneurs in Alberta.

Muzyka is an active member of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) and a Charter Member of the A100 since 2012. He served as the Founding Chair of the University of Alberta Venture Mentoring Service from fall 2013, a program designed to help student and alumni entrepreneurs through mentorship. He was a member of the University of Alberta Board of Governors from 2014 to 2020 and chaired the Human Resources and Compensation Committee. He mentors in the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL West Prime and Health, CDL Rockies Prime, CDL Toronto Health). Muzyka was a board member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences from 2001 to 2008. He also volunteered as a director on the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation's Board of Trustees from 2012 to late 2015.

In October 2012, Muzyka announced on the BioWare website that he was retiring from the video game industry and moving on to a "third career chapter," focusing on mentoring and investing in entrepreneurs in technology, new media, medical innovation, and social entrepreneurs. He launched his new company, Threshold Impact, in early 2013, which focuses on "sustainable, profitable impact investing."

Muzyka is an avid poker player who participates in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and other events each year. He won the inaugural DICE poker tournament in 2006, which included notable poker celebrities such as Scott Fischman, Chris Ferguson, and Perry Friedman. He played heads-up with Mike Morhaime from Blizzard Entertainment at the final table. He became the only player to win the DICE tournament twice, sharing first place with three other players in the 2010 DICE tournament. He competed in the 2008 WCPC CPT Main Event (Western Canadian Main Event, Canadian Poker Tour) and shared first place with the final four players to win the 2008 WCPC ring. He finished 374th out of 7,319 players in the 2010 Main Event of the WSOP.

BioWare projects credited with platforms and dates

• Shattered Steel (personal computers and Macintosh computers, 1996)
• Baldur's Gate (personal computers and Macintosh computers, 1998) Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast (personal computers and Macintosh computers, 1999)
• MDK2 (Dreamcast and personal computers, 2000)
• Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (personal computers and Macintosh computers, 2000) Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (personal computers and Macintosh computers, 2001)
• MDK2: Armageddon (PlayStation 2, 2001)
• Neverwinter Nights (personal computers and Macintosh computers, 2002) Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide (personal computers and Macintosh computers, 2003) Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark (personal computers and Macintosh computers, 2003) Neverwinter Nights: Kingmaker (personal computers and Macintosh computers, 2005)
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) (Xbox, personal computers, and Macintosh computers, 2003)
• Jade Empire (Xbox, 2005/personal computers, 2006)
• Mass Effect (Xbox 360, 2007/personal computers, 2008/PlayStation 3, 2012)
• Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (2008)
• Dragon Age: Origins (personal computers, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Macintosh computers, 2009)
• Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360, personal computers, 2010)(PlayStation 3, 2011)
• Dragon Age II (personal computers, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, 2011)
• Star Wars: The Old Republic (personal computers, 2011)
• Mass Effect 3 (personal computers, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, 2012)

Awards and recognition

In 2009, he was selected by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time, along with BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk.

On March 27, 2013, at the Game Developers Choice Awards, Muzyka received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

On December 27, 2018, Muzyka was named to the Order of Canada.