With comings and goings commonplace across the industry, Evoplay, Las Vegas Sands and Grand Casino Brussels are among those to have seen changes to their teams.
Grand Casino Brussels
Per Jaldung has announced that he will become the new CEO of Grand Casino Brussels at Viage in Brussels, Belgium.
Jaldung brings to Grand Casino Brussels more than 20 years of experience in the casino and gaming industry, including working for the European Casino Association for almost nine years as Chair of the Board and Honorary President.
In a LinkedIn post, Jaldung said: “I am proud to announce that I have received a contract as an independent business partner via my firm Maxor AB as CEO of the Grand Casino Brussels @ Viage in Brussels, Belgium (part of Casinos Austria International) starting on Dec 11.
“I am really looking forward to getting back into the casino world. I have missed it and I can’t wait to get on board with the experienced team Viage.”
Evoplay
Vladimir Malakchi has announced that he will be leaving his position as Chief Commercial Officer of Evoplay.
Malakchi has been with Evoplay for over four years, initially joining the company in December 2019 as Chief Business Development Officer before transitioning into the CCO role in March 2021.
In a long LinkedIn post, Malakchi reflected on his time with Evoplay, how the company has grown and faced challenges, and stated that he will be remaining within the igaming industry in his next role.
He said: “I’m grateful to many and would love to mention all the people who were part of my journey, but I suppose LinkedIn can block me for such a lengthy message. So I’ll mention only one person, without whom none of this would have happened: Ivan Kravchuk. My friend, thank you for once believing in me and insisting that I become part of this wonderful company.
“This industry has given me an unrealistic number of close friends, and that cannot be bought for any amount of money. I’m sure Evoplay will continue to grow further, as its passion, resources, and ambitions will only grow and develop. And the industry still awaits many surprises.”
Las Vegas Sands
Paul Myatt has announced his resignation from the position of Vice President, Commercial for Las Vegas Sands.
Myatt leaves LVS after only joining the operator in June earlier this year. He has also previously worked for Aspire Global, Quickspin and NetEnt.
He said in a LinkedIn post: “I have resigned from my position and today is my last day. I’m very thankful for the experience and I wish all my colleagues, clients, and customers the very best of luck for the future.
“I’ll be taking a few months off to enjoy Christmas and New Year and look forward to working on exciting new igaming opportunities in 2024.”
Raketech
Raketech Group has appointed Marina Andersson and Patrick Jonker as members of its board of directors.
At the company’s annual shareholders meeting, both Andersson and Jonker were unanimously voted onto the board to replace the recent resignations of Pierre Cadena and Johan Svensson.
Andersson has over 20 years in senior corporate development and mergers and acquisitions, previously holding roles with Stillfront Group and Deloitte. She has experience in financial and strategic advisory, transaction structuring, and company valuation.
Experienced in the international casino and sports betting industry, Jonker has held senior positions at Betsson Group and William Hill.
Norsk Tipping
Norsk Tipping has confirmed the permanent appointment of Tonje Sagstuen as CEO.
Sagstuen has been the interim CEO of Norway’s state-owned lottery operator since September, replacing Thor Gjermund Eriksen who left the operator.
At Norsk Tipping, Sagstuen has also served in the roles of deputy CEO and as Chief Officer of Responsibility, Society, and Communication.
Sylvia Brustad, Chair of Norsk Tipping, noted: “Today I am pleased to be able to present Tonje Sagstuen as the new CEO of Norsk Tipping. With her, Norsk Tipping gets a skilled and experienced manager who knows the company and its employees very well.
“The board has appreciated the work Sagstuen has done as acting CEO, and is pleased that she has accepted the position on a permanent basis. We are convinced that Sagstuen is the right person to lead Norsk Tipping going forward.”
Tabcorp
Tabcorp has appointed Mark Howell as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer, starting before June 2024.
Howell will be joining Tabcorp from Coles Group Limited Liquor business where he is the General Manager Liquor Finance & Network Optimisation.
He has experience in both consumer and retail industries, having held senior finance, strategy, business development and investor relations roles at Coles before its demerger from Wesfarmers Limited.
He has also held senior investment banking roles at Rothschild and Goldman Sachs in Australia and New York and began his career at Ernst and Young.
Tabcorp Managing Director and CEO Adam Rytenskild said: “Mark is the perfect fit for Tabcorp as we deliver our transformation. He’s passionate about our growth story and dynamic in his thinking.
“Wagering is one of the most competitive industries in Australia and Mark comes from an equally competitive customer-focused industry. His experience leading finance teams at Coles and working closely with investors will be invaluable moving forward.”
Konami Gaming
Konami Gaming has appointed Eric Schultz as Vice President of Studio Operations.
Schultz will lead Konami’s overall game development across software development, art design, sound design, math design, and project management.
He has over 20 years of experience in gaming and has previously worked for the company, beginning with the software engineering team in 2004 before moving into the position of Senior Director of Game Software Engineering in 2014.
Steve Sutherland, President and CEO at Konami Gaming, commented: “Eric Schultz brings a demonstrated ability to effectively manage multidisciplinary teams to achieve strong product outcomes in the field for our casino customers and their players.
“Our team is committed to growth in expanding sectors and global markets, and we look forward to continued momentum with Eric’s leadership and cooperative efforts across Konami’s world-class game studios.”
