Simon Westbury exclusive: Working somewhere that I can be me
Westbury spoke exclusively to Gambling Insider following his appointment as 1xBet Strategic Advisor.
Key points:
– Gambling Insider caught up with Simon Westbury following his appointment as 1xBet Strategic Advisor
– Westbury has “one really exciting project” in the works
– Taking the role may not have been what the industry expected, but is something Westbury is passionate about
I saw your post on LinkedIn saying you’d had a couple of people reach out to you with opportunities, but 1xBet is what you went for. What drove you to this role as Strategic Advisor, rather than one of the other offers you were given?
When we spoke back in October, I said the important thing for me was to find a job where I could be me. This job really allows me to be me and plays on a lot of my strengths I’ve developed over my career. I think it’s also a little bit different, it’s not what I believe everyone expected me to do. I think the strategic vision 1xBet management showed me over the last couple of months – and this will become clearer over time, I’m not going to tell you everything today – but some of the strategies and visions we have to implement are genuinely exciting.
I’ve always believed in fairness and I think, sometimes, when we look at media coverage, it’s not been that fair. I’ve always believed in fairness, and I want to show the good news and the story that is there. It’s an exciting story to share even now before we really get started.
I want to learn from past mistakes and make sure I go somewhere where I can be me, because if I can’t be me, my passion’s not there, and I have to have that to be successful
Are there any projects in particular you’re looking forward to sinking your teeth into?
There’s one really exciting project, but again, that will become clear around September, October, so bear with me a little bit. But yes, there’s one very exciting project. I’ll say it’s focused on corporate social responsibility, and that’s something I’m really excited about getting involved in.
You’ve had experience with Digitain and as CEO of SportGenerate. What do you feel you’re going to be able to take from those roles and bring to this new position?
Well, I think, working in a different culture. The last five-and-a-half years have given me great awareness of dealing with different work cultures. The fact that my profile has grown; it was reasonable before Digitain, but it’s grown. And I think I bring a lot of credibility from the industry to 1xBet.
You can never keep a secret, and rumours were circulating at iGB Live, where people were saying, “is this where you’re going?” and I couldn’t confirm or deny. But, generally, people were really pleased because they felt this was an exact fit for both companies and it’s a mutually beneficial relationship.
That’s something that’s really interesting to me, because in past roles I’ve probably given more than I’ve received. I remember saying [in October], I didn’t know if I was going to go to a really big company and make a 1% difference or a startup and make a big difference. But, 1xBet is a massive company, and the exciting thing about this for me is that I can make a massive difference to the brand and the perception of the company.
You had a decent break between leaving Digitain and coming here. How important was it for you to have that time to reflect, sit back, look after yourself and then come back into the industry and find a role that you found fulfilling?
It was important. I didn’t realise when I spoke to you way back in October how much rest I needed. But then it was more about me wanting to do what I wanted to do and staying strong. There were some conversations I had, I’ve referenced them in other LinkedIn posts with some industry colleagues, and they gave me great support and belief because sometimes it’s very difficult to stay true to what you believe in. I could have taken the easy route, but I didn’t, and I think I’ve ended up in the best place for me.
It was challenging at times, one, because I like being really busy and saying, well, why don’t I just take this? But two, I want to learn from past mistakes and make sure I go somewhere where I can be me, because if I can’t be me, my passion’s not there, and I have to have that to be successful. 1xBet was something a bit left field for me, but it was something that was really interesting to me.
I think everyone has had this mental battle between doing the things they feel like they’re supposed to do versus doing the things they want to do…
In life in general, I’ve never taken the easy route. This isn’t an easy role, but I didn’t want to just take an easy role and just tread water. This is something different, it’s not B2B, it’s more strategic, it’s more visionary. It’s about improving awareness of one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, and that’s a challenge, and it’s one that I really want to be involved in.
It’s [still] first days on the job. But we’ve got a vision. It’s going to be a very active three to four months, and I think everything will become clear. I always say, I have to learn patience, and I’ll ask the industry for a little bit of patience while we get everything streamlined and going.
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