People news 20 October 2016
The latest people news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (14 October to 20 October 2016)
Senior Gaming Realms duo depart
B2B head Simon Smiley and CTO David Hampstead leave firm to launch a new non-gaming start-up with former Gaming Realms colleague Tom Gooding
Gaming Realms’ head of B2B partnerships, Simon Smiley, and chief technology officer (CTO), David Hampstead, have both left the firm to launch a new China-focused ecommerce start-up, eGaming Review has learned.
The senior duo left operator in recent weeks to launch Samarkand Global, a London-based technology and service provider designed to help European retailers build their brand and sales in China.
Smiley, who is chief operating officer of the new venture, was CMO at Gaming Realms for nearly three years and one of the co-founders of egaming-focused digital marketing firm QuickThink Media (QTM).
He was CEO of QTM from 2013 until it was sold to Amiya earlier this year and was also COO and co-founder of social gaming business bejig, which was acquired by Gaming Realms in August 2013 for £5.5m.
Quickspin hires new sales director
Playtech-owned slots provider Quickspin has appointed Tomas Bergendal as its new sales director as part of the firm’s strategy to expand its presence in regulated and emerging markets.
Bergendal, who previously held roles at Betsson Yggdrasil, will oversee Quickspin’s push into new jurisdictions and report directly to chief commercial officer Paul Myatt.
“We are delighted to have brought Tomas on board. His knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm will help drive the business forward, and I’m sure he will play a key role in our future successes,” Myatt said.
Bergendal added: “Quickspin has established itself as one of the market’s top suppliers, but I believe they have only just scratched the surface of what they can achieve. It’s an exciting time for the firm, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”
Seven days in people news:
Intralot US chief executive steps down
Intralot’s US arm has announced a major change of leadership this week with CEO Tom Little stepping down to become non-executive chairman of the board until his upcoming retirement.
He will be replaced by an interim CEO in the form of Nikos Nikolakopoulos who is currently the COO of parent company Intralot Group.
Little has been the CEO of Intralot US since its inception in 2002, following a 25-year career at Scientific Games.
Intralot said Nikolakopoulos would help “ensure the continuity of our services and full alignment of our offering upgrade with our global strategies” while it looked for a permanent replacement.
Tabcorp and Tatts Group agree £7bn merger
Tabcorp and Tatts Group will combine to create a new Australian AU$11.3bn (£7.1bn) gambling powerhouse, with the deal driven by the desire to compete more effectively with digitally-focused foreign bookmakers.
The merger is expected to complete in mid-2017, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, with current Tabcorp chief executive, David Attenborough, set to take the reins as CEO and managing director.
The combined firm, which is expected to deliver at least $130m (£81.2m) per annum in synergies and business improvements, will have a market cap of approximately $8.6bn (£5.4bn), revenue of more than $5bn (£3.1bn) and EBITDA of over $1bn (£0.6bn).