The month of April continues to be a busy month for the U.S. commercial gaming industry.
SBC Americas is detailing the latest leadership changes in North American gaming markets. The workforce changes directly impact how business is conducted throughout the industry, and how key stakeholders develop and execute their strategies.
Each week, we’ll detail the latest hires, exits and promotions.
IGT’s land-based gaming business has a new leader
IGT added a new member to its leadership team by appointing Mark Wadley as the company’s president of land-based gaming. He joins IGT after serving as an executive at Aristocrat. At Aristocrat, Wadley served as chief marketing officer for nearly five years.
“Mark is a proven leader with a deep understanding of how to connect product, customer insight and commercial execution to drive performance,” said IGT Chief Executive Officer Hector Fernandez. “As we continue to strengthen our Gaming business, bringing these capabilities together under one leader is a critical step in improving how we operate and deliver for our customers. Mark’s experience will help us accelerate that progress.”
In his new position at IGT, wherein he will report to Fernandez, Wadley is responsible for overseeing global sales for IGT’s land-based gaming business. He is also overseeing the segment’s product management, marketing, external communications and government communications.
Crypto.com finds replacement for legal leadership role
Crypto.com has named Justin Wales as its new Chief Legal Officer, promoting the legal expert from his previous role of Head of Legal for Americas. Before joining Crypto.com, Wales was a partner at law firm K&L Gates. He also led Carlton Field’s digital currency practice as chair of its blockchain and virtual currency practice group for nine years.
“Very honored to announce that I am taking over as the chief legal officer for Crypto.com,” said Wales in a LinkedIn post. “More than four years ago, I joined CDC. In the time I have seen first-hand what a talented group of A+ players can do when working toward a common goal. I have enough data points to have no doubt that the CDC legal team is the absolute best in the business”.
Wales replaces Nick Lundgren in the role as Lundgren has stepped down from the position.
“Since joining in 2020, it has been an incredible privilege to help build Crypto.com’s industry-leading regulatory resume from ground zero—securing the most comprehensive sets of licenses and registrations globally, including numerous firsts,” said Lundgren. “I’m especially proud that Crypto.com was the only major crypto platform to navigate the challenging regulatory environment without facing SEC enforcement action or settlement”.
Lundgren was also the CEO of Crypto.com-backed prediction market brand OG.
Canadian Lottery Coalition hires PR expert
The Canadian Lottery Coalition (CLC) named Molly Cormier as the trade advocacy group’s new executive director. The CLC has a membership that includes the ALC, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, Loto-Québec and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.
Cormier joins the CLC after spending nearly a decade at the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC), where she most recently served as the organization’s director of brand and communications. She also had a three-year stint as a Government of New Brunswick staffer.
In her new role as a public relations and marketing expert at the CLC, Cormier will collaborate with governments, regulators and key stakeholders across Canada.
“Molly brings the experience, leadership and judgment the Coalition needs as governments and regulators confront growing challenges around gambling advertising and consumer protection,” said CLC Executive Board Member Dallas McCready. “She understands the urgency of supporting player health, especially in the face of clear gaps in federal law and enforcement”.
IC360 appoints new managing director
Jeff Morton has joined IC360 as the company’s new managing director.
The regulatory expert has been hired by IC360 after a three-year stint as a managing partner at Knollwood Consulting Partners. Morton also spent nearly 20 years at risk and compliance giant ACA Group, where he held the roles of partner, chief revenue officer and senior advisor. He has also worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“For nearly 30 years, I’ve dedicated my career to protecting investors—first as a regulator with the SEC and then as co-founder of ACA Compliance Group,” said Morton.
“I’m excited to share that my investor protection journey will continue as a Managing Director at IC360, where I will focus on delivering their prediction market surveillance and monitoring tools to asset managers, private equity firms, hedge funds, and critical third-party service providers.”
