46 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024 Renato Ascoli – continued from page 10 Since the merger of GTECH and IGT in 2015, Renato has successfully led both the Lottery and Gaming business units for the Company. His leadership was paramount in driving new business and innovation. A few key achievements during this time include, launching sports betting with the Rhode Island Lottery, winning a new 10-year contract to replace a competitor’s system in South Carolina, partnering with the Mississippi Lottery to begin operations, deploying lottery terminals in Walmart stores, and rolling out IGT’s proprietary Cash Pop™ draw game that’s now live in over 15 jurisdictions. With responsibility for one of the largest lotteries in the world, Renato also sustained the launch of the Gratta e Vinci (Scratch &Win) instant ticket brand in Italy. The first Gratta e Vinci concession was awarded in 2001, and the current Gratta e Vinci concession was awarded in 2010 and extended for a further nine years until September 30, 2028. Additionally, he was instrumental in gaining the exclusive Lotto concession in Italy with a consortium led by IGT, Lottoitalia S.r.l. The Italian Lotto, and its associated games 10eLotto and MillionDAY, are among the most popular and successful games in Italy, with annual ticket sales of about €8 billion. In addition to serving as IGT CEO Global Gaming from July 2020 to February 2024, Renato previously served as General Manager of GTECH S.p.A. (formerly known as Lottomatica Group S.p.A. and Lottomatica S.p.A.) and President of GTECH Products and Services, where he was responsible for overseeing the design, development, and delivery of state-ofthe-art platforms, products, and services. Renato had also served as Head of Italian Operations in which he was responsible for the strategic direction and operations of the Company’s Italian businesses. He joined GTECH S.p.A. in 2006 as Director of the Gaming division. Beyond the Global Lottery business unit, Renato is a strong advocate for employees. He serves as a mentor to IGT’s next generation of leaders and serves as co-executive sponsor of PRIDE with IGT, an employee impact group supporting IGT’s LGBTQ+ community. Through his work with PRIDE, Renato helps fosters a supportive and inclusive workplace and promotes a safe, welcoming environment for IGT’s LGBTQ+ employees and allies. Getting back to his roots in lottery and poised with momentum and opportunity, Renato is now leading IGT’s Global Lottery division in the next evolution of success while the Company spins off its Global Gaming and Digital business to become a pure-play lottery business. Paul Erickson – continued from page 10 His role prior to his appointment as Interim President was as Director, Risk and Compliance, where his portfolio of responsibilities included IT Security, Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance, Internal Audit, and Player Protection. Paul also holds a number of professional designations, including Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). In 2018 he became the CEO of WCLC. At the time, the business was doing well and had been for many years. But there was also the pressing concern that the business also needed to evolve to ensure it could continue to grow in a changing marketplace. Paul has also been active with Interprovincial Lottery Corporation (ILC) sub-committees for many years, chairing both the Lottery Risk Assessment and Common Standards teams. He has been a member of the ILC Executive Committee since June 2018. Since stepping into the CEO role, Paul has also been active in NASPL and the WLA. WCLC conducts and manages lottery and select gaming-related activities for the governments of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. WCLC's affairs are governed by a Board of Directors consisting of two representatives appointed by the government of each member province. Jannie Haek – continued from page 10 The Congress highlighted how the most innovative ideas come from “giving chance a chance”, and being prepared to respond to new opportunities as they present. This challenge to traditional thinking has been a fundamental part of Jannie’s leadership at the Lottery. Most recently, Loterie Nationale Loterij (Belgium) hosted this year’s “Lotteries in Europe: Safeguarding a Common Cultural Heritage for Society”, focusing on the importance of lotteries for cultural heritage with emphasis on the need to protect them as an integral part of our social fabric. Jannie continues to serve our industry as a member of the Executive Committee of both the World Lottery Association and the European Lottery Association. He is an energetic and passionate member of the Lottery Industry – committed to the lottery brand; delivering to the many communities which benefit from lottery proceeds. Prior to serving as CEO of the Lottery, Jannie was a Member of the Board and the Government’s Commissioner for the Lottery. In total, his tenure at the Lottery is over 21 years. Nikos Nikolakopoulos – continued from p10 Through his leadership at INTRALOT USA the last couple of years, Nikos built a robust organization that delivers innovative technology and services to 12 State Lotteries across the US. He has been instrumental in empowering INTRALOT family to help each customer achieve responsible growth and secure ongoing funding for public education and good causes. Nikos began his INTRALOT journey in 2007 as Group Strategy Director, spearheading the identification of growth opportunities and strategic partnerships and acquisitions that would create synergies and propel the company forward. Following this and leveraging his experience navigating diverse global challenges, he has been appointed as the Group President Latin America. Under his leadership within a period of five years, the region experienced tremendous growth for INTRALOT and became the second most important region for the company. As an integral Executive of the growing portfolio of INTRALOT‘s B2B and B2C business, Nikos steadily ascended leadership ranks, rising from Group Chief Operating Officer, to Group Chief Commercial Officer, and finally to Group Deputy CEO & BoD member, overseeing Commercial, Operations and Product Divisions. During this 10-year tenure, Nikos was managing company operations on every continent, from the Americas to Asia and down under. He played a key role in establishing and supporting the launch of INTRALOT's technology and product portfolio, driving success in multiple operations, around the globe. Before joining INTRALOT, he held leading positions in multinational IT companies, including the INTRACOM Group, Microsoft, SingularLogic, and Bull. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from the Athens University of Economics and Business and an MBA from La Verne University. Sam Wakasugi – continued from page 10 Sam worked for the first 15 years of his career on the government side of the business for Washington’s Lottery and as director of the Arizona Lottery. Joining Scientific Games in 1996, Sam played a major role in helping launch and develop several U.S. and international lotteries, including the China Sports Lottery, one of the largest and most successful instant game lottery start-ups in history and most recently (Feb 2024) the SGEP Operation in support of the UK National Lottery in partnership with Allwyn. In his career at SG, Sam oversaw the Licensing business, managed the Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership (SGEP) group, and oversaw the North American Sales Team and the company’s Retail Solutions group. In the span of his career, Sam’s had the unique opportunity to learn from some of the greatest in the industry but has also mentored and been a great teacher for many of his colleagues and lottery customers. His knowledge across all aspects of the business has impacted the success of many lotteries in Scientific Games’ network of global customers as well as the success of his teams and contemporaries – just a few of the qualities that have positioned Sam as one of Scientific Games’ most respected leaders.
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