With comings and goings commonplace across the industry, Playbook, Rank, BETBY and Aviatrix are among those to have bolstered their teams with key hires.
Rank
Rank Group has confirmed the forthcoming appointment of Andrew Peat as Managing Director of its interactive business.
Peat, who is expected to assume the leadership role later this year, will join the company’s executive management team from William Hill, where he most recently served as Sportsbook Director from 2018 to 2023.
He will be based in Gibraltar and gain responsibility for developing and executing Rank’s UK-facing digital strategy, reporting directly to Group COO Jon Martin.
“Securing an operator of Andrew’s calibre is great news for Rank,” Martin said. “His experience in sports and gaming, along with his track record in delivering cross-channel improvements at one of the biggest sportsbook brands in the UK, bodes well for the important job he will soon undertake in Gibraltar.
“Rank Interactive has enjoyed significant growth recently, and Andrew’s appointment aims to capitalise on the momentum we have in the business. I look forward to welcoming him when he joins us later this year.”
HappyHour
Ben Clemes is being tasked with accelerating the growth of current investments at HappyHour, while also spearheading the expansion of its portfolio with “promising startups poised to shape the future of the industry”.
This came as the igaming investment vehicle appointed Clemes, who boasts 16 years of experience across various aspects of the casino ecosystem, as Investment Portfolio Partner.
He joins the group from Gaming Innovation Group, a company he co-founded alongside Robin Reed, Managing Partner of HappyHour
In this past role, he held an array of positions, including Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Business Officer, and General Manager of GiG North America.
“Working with Ben again is immensely gratifying, given his remarkable track record of growing startups into robust and prosperous businesses,” Reed commented.
“With his vast experience and deep understanding of the industry, coupled with his visionary outlook, Ben is the ideal custodian for our current investments and future portfolio companies. His addition to the HappyHour.io team is warmly welcomed.”
Aviatrix
Gabriela Novello has joined Aviatrix as an Account Manager to accelerate overarching ambitions of expansion across the Latin American region.
In the role, Novello, who will focus on Brazil and other key markets in the region, will be tasked with supporting Aviatrix’s increasing number of partners. She has previously held senior sales and business development roles at the likes of Playtech and Altenar
Vladislav Artemyev, CEO at Aviatrix, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Gabriela to Aviatrix. With demand for the game on the rise across Latin America, and particularly in Brazil, it was important we strengthen our account management team to provide additional support to both new and existing partners.
“Aviatrix is a perfect match for casino players across LatAm, where many are looking for intuitive and rewarding titles that go beyond traditional table games and slots. We have big plans over the coming months, and Gabriela will be an important part of our work.”
Table Trac has named Thomas Florio as the head of Business Development for the Eastern US & new territories as the group looks to make further progress on an “aggressive expansion plan”.
Boasting in excess of 35 years of experience across casino operations and manufacturing, previous executive positions have been held at the likes of Caesars Entertainment, Wynn and Penn (Argosy), as well as various tribal casinos in the US and Canada
Chad Hoehne, President of Table Trac, said, “gaining the benefit of Mr. Florio’s experience and industry knowledge has immediate impact for CasinoTrac’s expansion plan. I am pleased to welcome Tommy to Table Trac”.
Svenska Spel
Svenska Spel has hired Frank Hojem as Head of Communications and Sustainability, with the new addition to its senior management team due to assume duties later this year.
Sweden’s state-owned betting, gaming and lottery operator highlighted Hojem’s political experience as being of particular significance to the role, which will commence on August 14 when he begins reporting directly to CEO and President Patrik Hofbauer.
“I look forward to working with communication and sustainability at Svenska Spel, which has a unique position as the entire Swedish gambling company, as an important partner to Swedish sports, with a strong focus on sustainability and where the surplus goes back to society,” the new hire noted.
“It will be exciting to change industries and work with Svenska Spel, which has both a strong group brand and well-known product brands. I hope to contribute to further strengthening Svenska Spel’s trust among all our stakeholders and push our sustainability agenda forward.”
Playbook Engineering
Ivo Doroteia has assumed CEO responsibility at Playbook Engineering, as the betting platform provider looks to enter a wave of new markets, with the US and Latin America, specifically Brazil, highlighted.
Doroteia boastss a wealth of experience in the igaming industry after previously working as CEO at Sportingtech and Betomall, as well as Chief Strategy Officer at iGaming Platform.
“I am delighted to join such a prestigious group and impart my knowledge across the company to ensure our product drives change into the industry, remaining world-leading and focused as an igaming leader,” Doroteia stated.
“With the help and expertise of our amazing team and cutting edge technology, Playbook is sure to have a bright future and I am really looking forward to representing the company as its CEO.”
BETBY
BETBY has followed up the recruitment of Stefanos Karakidis as Senior Business Development Manager earlier in the month by naming Viki Vitanyi to the position of Head of Client Success.
Main responsibilities in the role, which will be based out of Malta, will include developing and implementing a customer experience strategy, improving the customer journey and relationship, and exploring technology and innovation to maximise the customer experience for our clients.
Chris Nikolopoulos, Chief Commercial Officer at BETBY, said: “We want to attract the top talent in the industry to push us to new heights, and this is evident with our latest hire. Viki brings a wealth of experience, and we’re confident she’ll be a fantastic asset for BETBY.”
