With comings and goings commonplace across the industry, MGM Resorts, Future Anthem and Buzz Bingo have moved to bolster their teams with key hires.
Buzz Bingo
Chris Matthews has disclosed an impending departure as Chief Executive Officer of Buzz Bingo, with Dominic Mansour, COO, set to be promoted.
Matthews has led the group for the past five years and is hailed as overseeing a company-wide rebrand as well as online growth and the navigation of a COVID shutdown and subsequent reopening.
Mansour joined Buzz Bingo at the beginning of 2021 and has been credited with growing its digital business, and will take on the new position from December 9. He has previously held senior leadership positions at Bragg Gaming, PokerStars and IGT.
John Kelly OBE, Buzz Bingo’s chair, said: “Chris has successfully led the business through a change of ownership, two years of pandemic disruption, and a reorganisation of the company’s property portfolio.
“Under his excellent stewardship, the Buzz brand was born, as was buzzbingo.com, both of which have grown from strength to strength. We want to thank Chris for his leadership and wish him the best of good fortune for the future.”
GAN has disclosed the resignation of Chief Financial Officer Karen Flores, with the departure including an exit from the group’s board of directors, effective November 25, 2022.
Subsequently, the company has appointed Brian Chang, Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller, to assume the duties of CFO in the interim. GAN’s search process for a successor is underway amid hopes to provide an update on that process in the near future.
“Karen’s leadership and financial acumen have been critical parts of GAN’s evolution to a US listed public company as well as our, at times, complex acquisition of Coolbet in early 2021,” said Dermot Smurfit CEO.
“I am deeply appreciative of Karen’s dedication to GAN and wish her all the best for the future.”
Future Anthem
Emma Ferguson has been appointed as Head of People at Future Anthem as the firm looks to execute on ambitious expansion plans in Europe and North America following what is billed as “a hugely successful twelve months”.
In the role, Ferguson will lead all people operations within the company. Key responsibilities will include supporting recruitment efforts across all departments and owning the employee experience for new and existing staff.
Leigh Nissim, Future Anthem CEO, stated: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome Emma to the team, we have been fortunate enough to enjoy impressive commercial and staff growth over the last year and it’s incredibly important that we now further invest into ensuring our team is the very best it can be.
“Emma has extensive and impressive experience of building teams as well as developing and maintaining a strong company culture. She will help us take Future Anthem to the next level as we continue our expansion into new markets worldwide.”
MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts has confirmed the appointment of Allison Smith Mitchell to Vice President of Regional Human Resources Business Partnerships, where she will oversee regional human resource operations while providing strategic direction and leadership.
As a key member of the group’s HR leadership team and operating committee, Smith Mitchell will partner with the human resources centre of excellence to establish short and long-term people strategies and goals for the regional properties, while also championing company culture and employee value proposition.
“As a mission-driven leader with a successful track record of comprehensive human capital management in the Southeast region, I am enthusiastic about this new chapter and the expansion of my scope,” noted Smith Mitchell.
“I look forward to applying my capabilities and driving key HR results across the eight MGM Resorts International regional properties.”