With comings and goings commonplace across the industry, SkyCity, GiG and Rush Street Interactive are among those to have seen changes to their teams recently.
SkyCity
SkyCity has announced that David Christian has resigned as Chief Operating Officer Australia.
Callum Mallet, interim CEO of SkyCity, noted: “David has held a number of senior roles during his career with SkyCity since joining in 2005 and has led the SkyCity Adelaide business through a very challenging and demanding period, demonstrating strong leadership and resilience.”
From April 13, Christian will be replaced as Chief Operating Officer Australia by Avril Baynes, who is the current General Manager of Hospitality at SkyCity Adelaide and has previously been the General Manager of the Mindil Beach Casino Resort in Darwin, Australia.
Julian Cook, Board Chair of SkyCity, added: “On behalf of the SkyCity Adelaide board and the SkyCity board, I thank David for his tireless efforts and dedication to SkyCity and wish him well.”
GiG
GiG has submitted its proposal for two separate board entities ahead of the company’s split of its Media and Platform businesses.
GiG Media will be operated under the company’s current corporate structure, while GiG Platform, the business tech subsidiary, will be spun off to GiG’s shareholders later in the year.
The proposal has been submitted to investors before the company’s annual general meeting on May 22. The two separate boards have been created “with the aim to optimise the growth opportunities for each business entity”.
GiG Platform’s board will be led by Petter Nylander as Chair, alongside Nicolas Adlercreutz, Mikael Riese Harstad, Hesam Yazdi, Tomasz Juroszek and Steve Salmon. It will not feature Karolina Pelc, as she declined re-election due to other commitments.
For GiG Media’s board, the committee has proposed Harstad as Chair alongside a re-elected Hesam Yazdi, with the additions of Cristina Romero de Alba, Mateusz Juroszek and Nicholas Batram.
Romero de Alba is a legal expert in gambling disciplines, a partner of Madrid law firm LOYRA, and has worked as counsel for M&As of clients including institutional and strategic investors, operators and suppliers in over 30 countries.
Juroszek has 20 years of gambling industry experience and was previously CEO of Poland’s largest bookmaker STS from 2012 to 2023. Batram is the former Group Director of M&A and Corporate Development at Entain.
Chicken Ranch Casino Resort
Chicken Ranch Casino Resort has appointed Katie Kirkland as Group Sales Manager.
Kirkland brings over 14 years of experience in the hospitality, tourism, and sales industry to the resort ahead of its planned opening later this year in the summer.
She previously worked at Club Med Resorts, Black Oak Casino Resort and Development Counsellors International.
Commenting on her new role, Kirkland said: “As the new Group Sales Manager at Chicken Ranch Casino Resort, I am excited to bring fresh perspectives and innovative strategies to enhance our guests’ group experiences.
“Our team is dedicated to creating memorable events and ensuring every detail exceeds expectations. I look forward to collaborating with our clients and partners to elevate our offerings and establish Chicken Ranch as a premier destination for group gatherings.”
Raketech
Raketech’s nomination committee has proposed the appointment of Jon Moss to the company’s board of directors ahead of its annual general meeting on May 16.
The committee has also proposed the reelection of all current board members and Ulrik Bengtsson as Chair.
Moss has extensive experience in igaming, as he has previously spent over a decade as Head of International Development at bet365.
He has also been an independent consultant working across various geographies, including numerous markets in Europe, North America, Australasia, certain Asia markets and Latin America.
The committee is confident that Moss would strengthen Raketech’s board with his igaming and international experience, bringing value to help the company’s growth initiatives.
Svenska Spel
Svenska Spel has appointed Gustav Georgson as Head of Public Affairs.
Taking on the role from April 29, Georgson joins the operator from the Government Offices, where he worked as a political adviser at the Liberal Party’s coordination office.
“Five years after the re-regulation of the gambling market, gambling is still the subject of much debate. With Gustav’s cutting-edge expertise in public affairs, we will continue to develop our relationship with Svenska Spel’s stakeholders,” stated Frank Hojem, Head of Communications and Sustainability at Svenska Spel.
“We will be a clear voice in the debate and contribute with concrete views on the industry’s most important issues. Gustav will play a central role in this work.”
Commenting on his new role, Georgson said: “I have always had a positive view of Svenska Spel as a player with an important role in society. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to consolidate our position as a responsible role model in the gaming market.”
Rush Street Interactive
Rush Street Interactive has hired Brian Sapp for the newly-created role of Chief Marketing Officer.
Sapp has a strong record in data-driven marketing and live operations within the mobile industry. He was previously on the Executive Team at Rec Room, overseeing several functions, including media buying, product marketing, creative, social and first-party revenue.
He has also held the position of Senior Vice President of User Acquisition & Ads at Jam City, Director of Digital Publishing at WB Games and Director of Developer Partnerships at Tapjoy.
“As we continue to grow and expand across the Americas, a marketing leader with Brian’s unique blend of gaming and mobile experience, strategic insight, and creativity will be additive to the team as we shape the future of our brand and continue to innovate our customer-first experience,” said Richard Schwartz, CEO of RSI.
“We are thrilled to welcome him aboard to lead our marketing strategy, team, and operations.”
Mattias Stetz, RSI’s Chief Operations Officer who previously led the marketing team, will now focus more on scaling operations and increasing Latin American growth.
Sapp stated: “I am thrilled to join Rush Street Interactive at a time when the company has such strong momentum. RSI’s customer-first focus really resonated with me as a marketer who understands what it takes to succeed in a competitive mobile landscape.
“I look forward to leveraging my experience and expertise to drive forward our marketing initiatives during RSI’s next phase of growth and deliver exceptional experiences to our customers.”