The most reputable and prestigious Awards in the gaming industry are back. With every Shortlisted company nominated for a specific reason, and a rigorous voting process, The Executive of the Year category is no exception. Julian Perry, Editor-in-Chief of Gambling Insider, sums it up best: “So many people deserve recognition for pushing not just their companies forward but the entire industry.
“Unfortunately we can’t recognise everyone but we’ve tried our best by making this the only Global Gaming Awards category with 25 nominees, rather than 10.”
The full Shortlist for each category will be released in the public domain shortly, with the winner announced in April. Until then, Gambling Insider is delighted to share the full list of nominees in the Executive of the year category:
Brigid Simmonds, Chair, Betting & Gaming Council, has held the position of Chair since the BGC was established in 2019, overseeing yet another successful year.
Serving Paddy Power for over 10 years,David Newton, CEO, Paddy Power Retail, is next on our Shortlist.
Marina Ostrovtsova, Executive Director, BGaming, has shown herself as a reliable and active leader, launching several projects and processes for operators worldwide.
888 Holdings CEO Itai Pazner is our next nominee, helping guide the operator to solid growth over the past 12 months and spearheading the acquisition of the famous William Hill brand.
For over 20 years, Carsten Koerl, Sportradar CEO, has combined sports and analytics to keep the company going strong. He is recognised in our Shortlist for this very reason.
Todd Haushalter, Evolution CPO, has overseen all aspects of the live casino supplier's hugely successful games, including new product development and unparalleled leadership.
Parimatch Tech Founder Katerina Belorusskaya stands as a contender for the Award, due to her active involvement in the reorganisation of the company, focusing on corporate control, capital and talent management.
John Connelly, Interblock Global CEO, brings over 30 years of experience in the gaming sector, with a distinguished record of business development, innovation, mergers and acquisitions. He takes a respected seat at our Awards nominee table.
Head of Responsible Gaming and Research, Kindred Group, Maris Catania is one of the industry leaders when it comes to responsible gambling efforts, and is a pioneer in initiating key events for operators.
Michael Daly, Catena Media CEO, has transformed the company’s growing US media operations, leading the super affiliate to achieve fantastic financial results.
LeoVegas Group CEO Gustaf Hagman has over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and the online gaming industry, continually overseeing growth for the online operator.
FDJ Chairwoman and CEO, Stéphane Pallez, has transformed the operator and led it to expand largely into online sports betting.
Jesper Søgaard, Co-Founder & CEO, Better Collective, has increased the company’s commitment to responsible gambling, launching the Gamalyze self-assessment tool.
Cecilia Wachtmeister, EVP Business & Group Functions, Kambi, earned praise for her management of the commercial, marketing and strategic directives over the past year.
Vigen Badalyan, BetConstruct Founder & CEO, has continued to take both BetConstruct and VBet to new heights in 2021.
Aiste Garneviciene, COO, BetGames, has made the company an exciting supplier across the live casino and dealer verticals, with immersive betting experiences, ease-of-use high bet rates and record-low CPAs.
Martina Åkerlund, Triggy CEO, has successfully transitioned from the banking industry to lead Triggy with aplomb. Among her highlights, the company partnered with Better Collective for the launch of live-score mobile apps across a range of markets.
Dima Reiderman, BtoBet COO, was a key factor in agreements with Tier-1 operators William Hill and Betfair in Latin America.
Paf Chief Responsibility Officer and Deputy CEO, Daniela Johansson, has overseen the operator's progress in terms of environmental sustainability and climate impact.
SG Digital's iGaming CEO, Dylan Slaney’s vision has also led to the company’s first-ever acquisition of a live casino provider, Authentic Gaming, and the purchase of Lightning Box.
Renato Ascoli, CEO Global Gaming, IGT, has overseen the company's emergence as a leader in cashless gaming, and launched a vast portfolio of new games and cabinets into the market.
Mor Weizer, Playtech CEO, has steered the supplier to become stronger as it emerged from the challenges of the Covid pandemic as a more sustainable company.
Bet365 CEO and Co-Founder, Denise Coates, is synonymous with the industry itself and continues to push responsible gambling awareness, donating significantly to charitable causes.
Genius Sports CEO, Mark Locke, has led the company to achieve strong financial results in the past 12 months, with its Q3 2021 results jumping 70% YoY.
And last but by no means least is Jette Nygaard-Andersen, Entain CEO, who has continued the company's strong growth, positioning it well for sustainable growth by putting in more effort in responsibility and innovation.
It's all to play for in our only category that rewards the individual and not the company.
This category is sponsored by Bragg Gaming – the global gaming technology and content group and owner of leading B2B iGaming companies, while the Global Gaming Awards London are powered by Gambling Insider.
