People news 11/04/13
The latest people moves from the egaming industry in the last seven days (5 April to 11 April 2013).
Zynga seeks to avoid exec departures with salary boosts
Senior management team salaries almost double; Pincus to be paid just US$1 in 2013.
Zynga has almost doubled the salaries of its core executive team in a move designed to avoid a repeat of last year’s management exodus.
A Securities and Exchange Commission filing revealed revealed that salaries for six key employees have doubled in 2013.
Chief revenue officer Barry Cottle, president of games Steve Chiang, COO David Ko, executive vice president and CTO Cadir Lee have seen their basic pay rise to US$500,000, with all receiving cash and equity bonuses exceeding $1m if certain targets are met over the course of the year. Meanwhile executive vice president Reggie Davis and CFO Mark Vranesh have seen their salaries rise to $425,000, with similar bonus packages also awarded.
Chief executive Mark Pincus, on the other hand, has had his salary reduced to just $1, and will not receive any bonuses in 2013.
Seven days in people news:
Former FTP chief Bitar to plead guilty
Former Full Tilt Poker chief executive Ray Bitar is set to enter a guilty plea with regard to criminal charges brought against him following Black Friday.
However Bitar’s legal team has requested the former exec avoid jail time due to a serious heart condition, diagnosed last year, which will see him require a transplant.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), he could enter the plea as soon as next Friday, while Diamond Flush Poker reports that he would be ineligible to be considered for a heart transplant if incarcerated.
Oddslife brings in Betsson co-founder alongside bold.dk launch
Chris Duncan, a member of Betsson’s founding group, has joined social sports betting start-up Oddslife as its chief commercial officer.
Duncan, who co-founded the sports betting operator in 2001, has also invested in Oddslife as the business looks to expand its reach through media partnerships.
“Oddslife is creating a unique approach to social gambling by using media partnerships as its primary means of driving traffic,” Duncan said.
Board resignation sees mybet delay shareholders’ meeting
Mybet Holding SE has announced it will postpone its annual shareholders’ meeting following the resignation of supervisory board member Rodolfo Carpintier Santana.
Carpintier has stepped down from his role for personal reasons, according to a statement released by the operator this morning. This has prompted the company to delay the meeting, scheduled for May 16, in order to give mybet’s nominating committee “adequate time to find a suitable candidate” to replace Carpintier, then propose the candidate’s election at the meeting.
Former PKR marketing director Simon Prodger has left the operator after more than seven years, moving to Microsoft to work at the company’s Lift London development studio. Prodger had first joined PKR in October 2005, having previously helped establish Victor Chandler’s online poker room.