Industry News
Kaizen Appoints Venia Zafolia as Head of Corporate Communications and Pablo Puertas as Marketing Director
Kaizen Gaming has appointed Venia Zafolia as Head of Corporate Communications and Pablo Puertas as Marketing Director.
The addition of new executives is part of the development strategy of the largest GameTech company in Greece and one of the most developing in Europe, to strengthen its presence in all seven markets in which it operates.
Both Venia Zafolia and Pablo Puertas, who participate in the top leadership team of the company, will refer to Mr. Panos Konstantopoulos, CMO of Kaizen Gaming. As part of their duties, Venia Zafolia will be responsible for maintaining and strengthening the corporate reputation and image as well as for the corporate communication strategy, while from her position of responsibility Pablo Puertas will contribute to the design and implementation of strategic development plans and the promotion of Kaizen’s innovative technology products and services.
Venia Zafolia served as the communications manager of Tetra Pak for Eastern and Southern Europe and earlier held the post of Sustainability & Environment Communications Manager for the Tetra Pak Group. In her twenty-year professional career, she has collaborated with large Greek and multinational companies active in the industrial, technological and consulting sectors. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania where she completed her undergraduate studies in Economics and International Relations, continuing immediately after her postgraduate studies at New York University and later at the University of Cambridge where she obtained an MSc. in the field of Communication and Administration respectively.
Pablo Puertas studied Philosophy at the University of London and obtained a Master’s Degree in Cognitive and Control Anthropology from the University of Oxford. He has also successfully completed seminars specialising in Marketing Management, from where he received the relevant certifications from the University of New York and completed the corresponding Master at the ESIC Business & Marketing School. He has been involved in the creation and implementation of digital marketing strategies, rebranding projects and programmatic campaigns. As of 2018, Pablo was on the team of William Hill, one of the largest online betting companies in the world, and specifically as Head of Digital Marketing, while in the past he had worked with major companies in the Communication and Advertising sectors.
“The addition of Venia and Pablo to the Kaizen Gaming family comes to further strengthen the Group’s strategic development plan, supporting our vision and mission. Kaizen continues to grow and expand at an intense and steady pace inside and outside Greece and the presence of people with international experience is absolutely necessary in the now expanded composition of the team. I am sure that our collaboration with Venia and Pablo will further contribute to the extroversion of Kaizen’s corporate image, enhancing the value of our brands inside and outside our audience, highlighting all those characteristics that place us among the top international players. We welcome them with great joy and look forward to conquering new peaks with them” Panos Konstantopoulos, CMO of Kaizen Gaming, said.
IAGA
The International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA) Announces 2024 International Gaming Summit in Washington, D.C.
The International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA) will hold its 41st International Gaming Summit Monday, May 27 through Thursday, May 30, 2024 at The Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C.
As a premier event that brings together leaders from all global gaming sectors, the Summit will provide operators, suppliers, attorneys, investors, bankers, regulators and other advisor delegates with an unparalleled opportunity to meet and discuss the most important issues facing gaming.
“We are looking forward to holding this year’s 41st Annual International Gaming Summit in Washington, D.C., and are pleased to announce an agenda that includes a specific focus on some of the key sports betting issues the rapidly expanding US market is facing. As part of this focus, we will bring together representatives from global sports betting operators, regulatory agencies, professional sports leagues and other experts to discuss how the industry’s sports betting stakeholders can better work together to ensure a sustainable, responsible sports betting environment that is built on best practices lessons learned from other markets,” John Stawyskyj, President of IAGA, said.
“Beyond our sports betting focus, our diverse agenda includes discussions on other issues of importance including the growing impact of fraud and cyber breaches on regulated operators, a look into the federal and state lobbying process, an update on what’s happening in other gaming markets outside North America, a deep dive into new technologies and how they might impact gaming and more. I look forward to welcoming our delegates to Washington and participating with them in lively discussions about these critical issues and more,” Stawyskyj added.
Charlie Skinner
Marker Trax Appoints John Henderson as Senior Vice President of Operations
Marker Trax, a leader in cashless payment solutions for the gambling industry, has announced the appointment of John Henderson as its senior vice president of operations.
As the company continues solidifying its cashless payments sector leadership position, Henderson joins the team to play a key role in leading strategic planning efforts, executing new operator and customer initiatives, directing pursuit of key performance indicators, and ensuring overall product and technology quality control. He reports directly to, and will work closely with, Marker Trax President Charlie Skinner.
Henderson is a seasoned, energetic industry veteran who brings to Marker Trax more than four decades of success in delivering technology-based business solutions, leading innovation-forward companies seeking to increase their industry footprints and to solidify their market shares.
“We’re cementing our leadership position in the cashless space, and John is the right leader, at the right time, to help guide us there. He has tactical expertise, and a long track record of success in the IT space. More than that, though, he’s always eager to innovate – which aligns perfectly with our philosophy and goals. We’re lucky to have him on board,” Charlie Skinner, President of Marker Trax, said.
Immediately prior to joining Marker Trax, Henderson served as chief information officer at WorldStrides, a global leader in educational travel services, and helped the company navigate a business and IT transformation program. Henderson has also held client partner roles at Accenture, IBM, and Cognizant, and has served numerous global brands including Choice Hotels, Hilton Hotels, MGM Resorts, Wynn, Disney, and Royal Caribbean.
“Every step of his career, John’s shown natural aptitude for client relationship management and large-scale systems integrations, and a keen, tactical eye for optimizing performance at all levels of an operation. At Marker Trax, we’re increasing our market footprint through continual innovation, and John’s tactical leadership will be of tremendous benefit to reaching our goals,” Skinner said.
Henderson’s addition caps a prolific run of recent accomplishments for the company. It recently unveiled its innovative consumer product, Moolah Play, secured renewed commitment from partner and global payments leader Euronet Worldwide Inc., and is introducing its cashless credit technology into more markets around the country.
Affinity Interactive
Affinity Interactive Appoints Scott Butera as President & Chief Executive Officer
Affinity Interactive has announced the appointment of Scott Butera as President & Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
Mr. Butera, who most recently led AI’s Sports Information Group (SIG) business, brings over 30 years of experience in gaming, hospitality, media, entertainment, and sports to the pivotal role. In his new capacity, Mr. Butera will set strategy and oversee operations of the Company’s diversified portfolio of casinos resorts across Nevada, Missouri, and Iowa. He will also continue to oversee all print and online media platforms, including Daily Racing Form.
Mr. Butera is an industry veteran who has a history of leading growth and innovation at numerous companies. As CEO of SIG, he led initiatives to develop retail and business products and optimize ecommerce sales for the Daily Racing Form. Under his leadership, SIG experienced significant growth in market share and revenue. Previously, Mr. Butera served as President of Fubo Gaming at Fubo TV Inc. He has also held CEO and President positions at MGM Resorts International, the Arena Football League, Foxwoods Resort & Casino, Tropicana Entertainment, and Trump Entertainment, among others. Earlier in his career, he worked as an investment banker for more than a decade, gaining valuable financial expertise that he later applied to strategic decision-making in the gaming industry. Mr. Butera has a B.A. from Trinity College, where he served as a Trustee, and an MBA from New York University.
“Scott’s operating acumen and deep knowledge of the gaming and entertainment industries have helped AI and Sports Information Group expand product offerings and improve the sports and gaming experience for consumers around the world. I am confident Scott will integrate seamlessly into this expanded role, and under his leadership, Affinity will achieve greater success, continuing to deliver world-class experiences to nearly 1 million users and guests across platforms,” James J. Zenni Jr., Chairman of Affinity Interactive, said.
“Affinity’s mission to elevate the gaming industry through advanced technology and unparalleled customer offerings – both across digital media platforms as well as in-person gaming – remains a driving force behind the business’ success. I am eager to collaborate with Jim and leverage my familiarity with the business as well as my passion for driving innovative change to execute on AI’s long-term strategic priorities,” Mr. Butera said.
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