With plenty of comings and goings around the industry, allow CasinoBeats to give you the rundown on a number of recent manoeuvres.
Crucial Compliance
Responsible gaming and AML strategy specialist Crucial Compliance has appointed Nigel Birrell as non-executive chairman, just weeks after Andy Masters joined the board as COO.
Birrell brings a wealth of experience which will support the company’s ongoing strategy for international expansion. It also further bolsters the governance of the business, providing a springboard into new markets.
Paul Foster, managing director at Crucial Compliance, said of the appointment: “We are thrilled to have Nigel join the team. With his unrivalled industry knowledge and experience, we are looking forward to receiving his counsel in helping to shape Crucial’s future for sustainable growth.
“In attracting someone of Nigel’s calibre, we have reiterated our commitment to driving safer gambling and business change through holistic growth strategies.”
OtherLevels
OtherLevels has announced the appointment of Jenny Lu as North American general manager. She joins the firm having built and led teams at the intersection of paid media, acquisition, online casinos, lotteries and sports betting in North America for over a decade.
Prior to joining the company, Lu was director of sales at Optimove where she led the growth of US and Canadian gaming sales. From 2009 to 2018 she was director of account management at Income Access, a Paysafe company, and previously director of client relationships and partnerships at Income Access.
Brendan O’Kane, OtherLevels’ CEO, stated: “We are thrilled to welcome one of the most respected and recognised gaming executives to the OtherLevels team. Jenny brings extensive experience across the online casino, lottery and sports betting sector, and has a tremendous track record in client management, partnering, sales and business development.
“We believe her experience of paid media and acquisition, coupled with her deep knowledge of CRM and related technologies, will accelerate OtherLevels growth across the OtherLevels in-play, open data platform and intelligent messaging solutions.”
Maxima Compliance
Full-service compliance provider Maxima Compliance has appointed gaming counsel Paola Menachem as its director of regulatory and licensing.
Menachem has more than two decades of legal and regulatory experience within the gaming industry, at the likes of Intralot, the Zeal Group and the solicitors firm Smithfield Partners. At Maxima Compliance, she will lead the regulatory and licensing team.
Antonio Zanghi, Maxima Compliance managing director, said: “Our regulatory and licensing department continues to grow rapidly as more gaming businesses turn to Maxima Compliance to facilitate their entries into new markets, and maintenance in existing ones.
“Welcoming Paola to the team means we are able to continue to scale this part of our operations with one of the industry’s leading experts in the field.”
PlayUp
Online betting entertainment and tech firm PlayUp has appointed Dennis Drazin to its board, where he will work directly with US CEO Dr Laila Mintas. Together they will help drive the USA business and support the company with its global growth strategy.
Drazin is the chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, the operator of Monmouth Park, the largest racetrack in New Jersey. The track made history when it took the first legal sports wager by Governor Phil Murphy on June 14, 2018.
Daniel Simic, global CEO of PlayUp, commented: “Dennis is a well-recognized figure in the USA betting industry and will add enormous experience to our board. I look forward to working with him and Laila as we expand our global footprint.
“Significant progress has been made to introduce fixed-odds horse racing in the USA and what better person to have on our board than the man helping to currently oversee the pilot program.”