People news 30 January 2014
The latest people moves from the egaming industry in the last seven days (24 January to 30 January 2014)
Gala Interactive poker manager leaves for Betfair
Ian Wylie leaves to join exchange operator as senior poker operations manager after two years
Gala Interactive’s poker manager Ian Wylie has left the operator in order to take up the role of senior poker operations manager at rival Betfair.
Wylie, who spent roughly two years at Gala Interactive, will report to Betfair’s current head of poker and will be responsible for the management of the firm’s poker brands, including those operating in Spain, Italy and Denmark.
During his time at Gala Interactive, Wylie worked on the firm’s overall strategy for the vertical while he was also responsible for product development and customer retention initiatives.
Prior to Gala Interactive, he was senior poker operations manager at BetClic and Expekt between July 2010 and February 2012, having joined the French operator after four years as poker manager at Mansion Gibraltar.
Betsson creates new director of communications role
Betsson AB has appointed Malin Sparf Rydberg to the newly created role of director of communications as the company looks to develop a “clearer and more distinct” strategy for its portfolio of brands.
Ryberg will lead both the external and internal communications for Betsson and joins the company after having spent four years carrying out a similar role with Friends Arena, Sweden’s national football stadium.
According to Betsson CEO Maguns Silvferberg, the appointment of Rydberg was necessary in order to successfully promote the work being carried out by the company’s growing employee base, which has now topped the 1,000 mark.
Seven days in people news:
Gaming Realms appoints Gooding as CTO
London-based gaming firm Gaming Realms has appointed Quick Think Media (QTM) and beJig co-founder Tom Gooding as its new chief technology officer.
Gaming Realms acquired bingo affiliate and marketing agency QTM for £2.2m last month to add to its portfolio of gaming operators, which already included social-gaming firm bejig.
Gooding was one of a trio of QTM co-founders that retained their shares in the affiliate for a minimum of 18 months having elected to work alongside Gaming Realms on various real-money gaming launches planned for this year.
PMU appoints new international head
Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) has appointed Jonathan Bryden to the position of head of external international development as the French operator looks to ramp up its B2C business.
In his new role at the former monopoly, Bryden has assumed responsibility for the development of the operator’s international B2C projects including licence renewals and the creation of new strategic partners.
“Jonathan Bryden will assist the PMU in its development of B2C which will accelerate in 2014,” Aymeric Verlet, international director at PMU, said. “His experience will be an asset for the progression of the many projects that are key strategic plans of the PMU.”
DoubleDown Interactive co-founders depart
DoubleDown Interactive co-founders Greg Enell and Cooper Dubois have left the social gaming company two years after selling it to International Gaming Technology for up to $500m.
Enell and Dubois originally founded the development studio in Seattle in 2010 before launching the DoubleDown Casino in April that year.
The business quickly grew a huge player base on Facebook and since acquiring DoubleDown in January 2012, IGT has recorded significant growth in revenues from the product.