Industry News
LeoVegas Hires Communications Director and Strengthens the Marketing Department
LeoVegas Mobile Gaming Group is strengthening its internal organisation with an experienced Communications Director and has appointed two Marketing Directors, who will bring high-level expertise to the marketing department.
New Communications Director
Irena Busic has been recruited as new Communications Director for LeoVegas Mobile Gaming Group. Irena will have overarching responsibility for PR as well as for the Group’s press and internal communications. She will assume her position on October 15 2018.
“LeoVegas is in an interesting stage right now. The much-needed upcoming regulation of the gaming market here in Sweden will lead to better transparency and a bigger need for communication. On a personal note I also like the company’s focus on tech” says Irena Busic.
Irena served most recently as Head of Global PR and Communications at Hyper Island. Prior to this she worked with communication consulting for fast-growing tech companies at the start-up hub SUP46. She has also spent more than four years in China, where she served as Head of Communications for Stora Enso and as Managing Director of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce.
“The need to tell our story and who we are is becoming increasingly important while we also have a vision to change the perception to the industry. Irena’s broad experience will make her an important asset for the Group” says Gustaf Hagman, Group CEO
Stronger marketing department
In connection with Louise Nylén’s recent appointment as Deputy CEO of LeoVegas, the Chief Marketing Officer role (CMO) was eliminated. Responsibility has instead been split between two Marketing Directors, both based in Malta.
Petra Blixt, previously Head of Acquisitions at LeoVegas, has advanced to become one of two Marketing Directors. During her time at LeoVegas Petra has successfully built up and structured the affiliation and online customer acquisition organisation. She will continue to have overarching responsibility for all of LeoVegas’ online marketing activities as well as the markets in which LeoVegas has these activities as their main focus.
Claes af Burén has been recruited as Marketing Director with responsibility for the LeoVegas brand. Claes has a long and solid record of experience in brand-building, spending the last 14 years as CEO of various communications agencies. He served most recently as CEO and co-founder of DamnGoodAgency. In addition to the LeoVegas brand and related creative work, Claes will also have responsibility for markets in which LeoVegas is investing to build its brand.
“I have a very positive view of our work on strengthening our marketing department and leadership with these two great people,” says Louise Nylén, Deputy CEO. “With this change we have more clearly defined the responsibilities in marketing and have added brand-building expertise, which gives us even better opportunities for sustainable growth.”
For further information, please contact:
Gustaf Hagman, Group CEO co-founder: +46-(0)-8410-367-66, [email protected]
Philip Doftvik, Head of Investor Relations: +46-73-512-07-20, [email protected]
Irena Busic, Communications Director: +46-73-151-16-15, [email protected]
About the LeoVegas mobile gaming group:
LeoVegas’ passion is “Leading the way into the mobile future”. LeoVegas is Sweden’s premier GameTech company and is at the forefront of using state-of-the-art technology for mobile gaming. In 2017 the company passed the threshold for being classified as a unicorn, i.e., a start-up valued at more than USD 1 billion. A large part of this success can be credited to an extreme product and technology focus coupled with effective and data-driven marketing. Technology development is conducted in Sweden, while operations are based in Malta. LeoVegas offers casino, live casino and sports betting, and operates two global and scalable brands – LeoVegas and Royal Panda – as well as multiple, local brands in the UK. The company’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. For more about LeoVegas, visit www.leovegasgroup.com.
Industry News
SKS365 keeps investing in people: GROW People Management Program took the next level
11 experienced people managers from the SKS365 group’s 4 locations gathered last week in Belgrade for the new GROW People Management Program. From 15 th to 19 th of April, through trainings, discussions, and social connections, people had the opportunity to further grow individually and as a team, while enjoying Belgrade’s city center and rivers.
Created in 2023 with the purpose of building foundation people management skills across the organization, GROW initiative evolved this year by including a new, advanced program for experienced people managers to further consolidate their skills and prepare for future opportunities.
Building and fostering connections, sharing experiences, and enjoying team building experiences – all these activities have been part of the GROWpmp agenda for the 11 people managers coming from Commercial, Product and Development, Finance, and Sportsbook departments of the group’s 4 locations – Malta, Italy, Austria, Serbia.
GROWpmp included a variety of topics that people managers in SKS365 recognized as the key areas for management development. Topics such as influence through communication, team effectiveness, DEI, through to presentation skills and business topics like understanding finance and management reporting, were delivered with the support of external professionals and internal experts, while designed and organized by the SKS365 People & Culture team.
Industry News
Kindred’s Share of Revenue from High-risk Players Shows Slight Increase
Kindred Group plc’s (Kindred) share of revenue from high-risk players showed a slight increase to 3.2% (Q4 2023 3.1%) in the first quarter of 2024. Compared to the first quarter of 2023, the high-risk revenue share decreased marginally. The percentage of detected customers who exhibited improved behaviour after interventions came in at 87.1% (compared to 87.4% in Q4 2023 and 83.0% in Q1 2023). This sustained trajectory in the improvement effect after interventions, observed over an extended period, serves as a testament to the strong dedication and collective efforts throughout the company. It reflects Kindred’s ongoing commitment to fostering positive change within the industry.
“We continue to see our share of revenue from high-risk players fluctuate quarter to quarter, and we are working closely with all teams across the company to support customers towards a more sustainable gambling experience. However, it is encouraging to see that our Journey towards Zero data has steadily decreased since 2020. A similar trend can be seen across the healthier gambling behaviour effect after interventions. This tells us two things: our work is paying off, but we need to continue to push ourselves to propel a sustainable progression,” Alexander Westrell, Director of Communications at Kindred Group, said.
“It was very encouraging to witness the open and transparent discussions at the Sustainable Gambling Conference in London on 20 March, where those with lived experience shared their important stories. Also, it is evident that technology is moving forward, and will provide greater opportunities to detect and intervene in the future. We hope to see more regulators engage with the industry and with experts to secure a more sustainable industry for everyone,” Alexander Westrell added.
Industry News
PENN Entertainment Names Aaron LaBerge as Chief Technology Officer
PENN Entertainment announced that Aaron LaBerge has been named Chief Technology Officer (CTO) effective July 1, 2024, subject to customary regulatory approvals. Mr. LaBerge will report directly to PENN CEO & President Jay Snowden.
In his new role, Mr. LaBerge will be responsible for driving the technology strategy and execution for PENN, while leading the multinational team of technologists and serving as the key business leader for the company’s Interactive division.
Mr. LaBerge spent more than 20 years at The Walt Disney Company, in two stints separated by five and a half years as a technology entrepreneur. He was most recently President & Chief Technology Officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN where he was responsible for driving all technology and product development in support of The Walt Disney Company’s two media divisions. In that role, he helped set the vision and strategic leadership for how Disney uses technology to enable storytelling and innovation, drive its business, and create unparalleled consumer experiences with entertainment and sports content.
“We are thrilled to have someone of Aaron’s caliber join our PENN executive team. Having overseen a global organization of thousands of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, and data scientists that created some of the largest scale and most successful media properties in the world, there is no better candidate to lead our Technology and Interactive division into its future. I know Aaron is looking forward to working with Todd George, our head of operations, and our entire Executive Team to continue growing our position as a leader in online gaming, sports betting, and digital sports media,” Mr. Snowden said.
“I’m excited to join another talented team at PENN Interactive and lead our technology strategy. PENN Entertainment is at the forefront of the fast-changing gaming and sports media industry. I plan to use my experience from Disney and ESPN to help make ESPN BET an essential piece of the sports fan experience. Together, we’ll push the limits and redefine how fans interact with sports and gaming,” Mr. LaBerge said.
Prior to his most recent role at the Walt Disney Company, Mr. LaBerge was Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at ESPN from 2015 to 2018. At ESPN he played an instrumental role in the growth of ESPN’s consumer-facing digital media products and services – leading many of ESPN’s most ambitious and challenging projects and helping establish ESPN’s position as the leader in digital sports and innovative sports technology development. He was a key architect in the design, development, and engineering of ESPN’s state-of-the-art facilities in Bristol, CT; Los Angeles, CA; Charlotte, NC; and Austin, TX, as well as data centers and infrastructure that connect those facilities around the world, as well as the technology design and development to support the launch of the multi-platform SEC Network.
Between 2007 and 2012, LaBerge was co-founder and CEO of Fanzter, Inc. – a venture-funded consumer software and digital product development company. At Fanzter, he directed all day-to-day operations and led the development and launch of a variety of consumer-focused internet and mobile products, ground-breaking social and commerce technologies and more.
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