With plenty of comings and goings around the industry, allow CasinoBeats to give you the rundown on a number of recent manoeuvres.
Live 5
Staffordshire-based slot developer Live 5 has promoted Oliver Vlaytchev to director of operations, as the studio continues to build out its senior management team.
After initially joining the firm in 2017 as a software games developer and coordinator, Vlaytchev has moved through the ranks to the new role where he will be responsible for a range of business-critical tasks.
This includes managing the day to day activities of all departments within the company, ensuring seamless communication between departments, project planning and managing, overseeing the product roadmap and working with third parties.
Lloyd Butler, CEO of Live 5, said: “Oliver has proved to be a highly valuable member of the team and his promotion to director of operations reflects the positive impact he has had on the business since first joining our ranks in 2017.
“Live 5 has been on a tremendous growth trajectory over the past 18 months and Oliver has played a key role in this. In his new position, he will continue to manage day to day activities across our departments while playing an even greater role in the strategic development of Live 5.”
Penn National Gaming
Marla Kaplowitz has been appointed to the board of directors at Penn National Gaming, subject to customary regulatory approvals.
The appointment will expand the size of the board to eight members, six of whom satisfy the standards for director independence under the current Listing Rules of the NASDAQ stock market.
Kaplowitz is president and CEO of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, a trade association serving more than 600 member agencies across 1,200 offices throughout the US, who are responsible for more than 85 per cent of total domestic advertising spend.
David Handler, chairman of PNG, noted: “Marla is an innovator and a proven leader in marketing and digital transformation, which will serve us well as Penn National continues its evolution into the nation’s leading omnichannel provider of retail and interactive gaming, sports betting and entertainment. We’re delighted to have her unique talents on the board.”
FSB
Sports betting and igaming tech provider FSB has named US retail and online gambling veteran Bob Akeret as vice president of operations in North America, as the company gets ready to launch into the market.
Based in New Jersey, he will be responsible for fine-tuning the provider’s cutting-edge product and service offering for the market, including assisting FSB’s business development team in localising its retail and online sportsbook technologies.
He will also build relationships with third parties such as payment providers and data suppliers in the US, as well as identify new business opportunities. Akeret will report directly to FSB COO Glenn Elliott.
Dave McDowell, CEO of FSB, commented: “Bob is one of the most experienced retail and online gambling executives in North America and I am delighted to welcome him to the team. Securing Bob is a real coup for FSB as we prepare to enter the North American market with our leading technology.
“We see huge potential for our products and services as the US market continues to roll out and with Bob on board, we will be able to make sure our technologies meet the exact needs of operators and players across North America.”
British Horseracing Authority
The former racecourse stewards’ panel chair and experienced racing industry figure David Jones has been appointed to the board of the British Horseracing Authority, in the role of regulatory independent non-executive director.
Jones’ tenure begins from January 1, and he takes over from Andrew Merriam who has served three terms on the BHA Board since 2012 and has been involved in a number of major regulatory projects during that time.
Annamarie Phelps, chair of the BHA, stated: “We are delighted to welcome David to the BHA Board. He brings with him substantial insight and enthusiasm for the racing industry, which has been exhibited through his invaluable contribution to a number of recent industry projects, and his time as a well-respected member of our stewarding team.
“Our sincere thanks go to Andrew Merriam for his immense service to the BHA Board across many areas and committees, and his continued service to the sport of racing. It would be hard to find a better liked or more respected individual and his contribution to the racing industry during his three terms at the BHA has been significant indeed.”