The successful transformation of a major gambling business requires both an injection of the latest technology and a reimagining of the corporate culture, evoke CEO Per Widerström reveals all in the new edition of SBC Leaders magazine.
Issue 32 of the magazine includes an in-depth feature about the future of the custodian of the William Hill and 888 brands, in which Widerström and Chief Strategy Officer Vaughan Lewis detail the difficult steps they are taking to get the business back on track after a troubled period.
While the decision to rename the plc evoke is perhaps the most eye-catching step, the company is also undergoing an extensive restructuring programme designed to combine the strengths of its two internationally-recognised brands, together with a revamp of the executive team.
Widerström remains keen to see further change though, telling SBC Leaders: “When we are looking ahead with our value creation plan – the new strategy – we are instigating a new way of operation, which is more data-driven and more integrated with intelligent automation.
“Of course, then we are building a new culture as we go along. It is an ongoing process to make sure you have a fit for purpose, future-proofed culture and way of behaving in any living organisation in order to stay top in the industry.”
Elsewhere in the magazine, cover star Marina Ilina, the CEO of Pin-Up Global, shares her views on what lawmakers get wrong when creating regulated markets or updating regulatory regimes.
“More often than not, states think that if businesses are tightened up with mandatory deductions, it will be good for the country,” Ilina says.
“In reality, however, operators are very good at counting money. Licensed operators will not work in the countries where taxation, for example, mandates withholding winnings from the player, but does not regulate the grey market. Players themselves will not play in licensed products.”
Readers can also look forward to interviews with a number of other high-profile figures in the industry. Betfred’s incoming Chief Intelligence Officer Andrew Daniels discusses plans to use the operator’s all-new tech division to replicate its retail success on digital channels, while LiveScore Group’s General Counsel Rani Wynn examines whether marketing regulations are hampering the promotion of safer gambling practices.
Bulgaria’s gambling regulator Alexander Popov explains his plan to tackle the black market, while PressEnter Group’s Head of Payments Sean Spiteri discusses technological developments in the payments space. Amit Berkovich, evoke’s Head of Poker, calls for greater innovation to give the game a new lease of life, and Christoffer Andersson, Chief Operating Officer at 500 Casino explains why he believes the recent changes to Curaçao’s regulation will be a good thing.
There is also an in-depth look at the international furore about gambling advertising, a deep dive into the growing threat of AI-powered fraud, an evaluation of whether the sweepstakes model can successfully transfer from the US to international markets, and much, much more.
Click here to read the digital version of SBC Leaders Issue 32 or pick up a print copy at SBC Summit in Lisbon.
Merkur Group will undergo several leadership changes next month, with new Chairs of its Supervisory Board, Management Board and Board of Directors of the Gauselmann Family Foundation being appointed.
The changes are taking place as the company’s founder, Paul Gauselmann, will be stepping down on 1 October from his position as Chair of the Management Board and from the company’s executive leadership after 67 years.
During his time with Merkur, he helped to transform the company into an internationally recognised group with revenues of approximately €4bn and external sales revenues of more than €2.7bn.
However, Gauselmann will continue his association with the company as a member of the Gauselmann Family Foundation.
Gauselmann commented: “I have consistently devoted my energy to the company’s welfare and at the same time to the benefit of our approximately 15,000 employees. Now the time has come to entrust my life’s work to the younger generation.”
Current CFO Lars Felderhoff will be replacing Gauselmann as Management Board Chair. Felderhoff will be supported by Vice Chairs Jürgen Stühmeyer, a Management Board member with responsibility for sales, and Manfred Stoffers, a Management Board member with responsibility for marketing, communications and political affairs.
Having overseen the finances and organisation of the Merkur Group since 2018, Felderhoff will also become the new Group Chair. He said on the new role: “The challenge is immense, and naturally, we will not be able to fill the shoes of an entrepreneur like Paul Gauselmann one-to-one.
“However, the company is robust and agile enough to continue setting new benchmarks in the future.”
Gauselmann said on the Management Board appointments: “I am delighted that this trio is taking over the helm. They are outstanding leaders with a deep understanding of the company.”
Elsewhere, Michael Gauselmann, Paul’s son, will succeed his father as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Gauselmann Family Foundation, in addition to assuming the position of Supervisory Board Chair on 1 October from Manfred Grünewald.
“I am thrilled that my son Michael is embracing this important responsibility and will contribute his international experience to our company,” stated Gauselmann.
Michael Gauselmann has been with Merkur since 1982 and worked across all business segments, including serving as Vice-Chair of the Management Board for a decade before becoming Co-Chair of the Group Management Board from 2004 to 2012, sharing responsibilities with his father.
From 2013, he was involved in the Gauselmann Family Council and, from 2016, in the Gauselmann Family Foundation.
Paul Gauselmann concluded: “Reorganising the company by the time I turn 90 has been my wish for some time. We have accomplished this very well and are ideally positioned for the future, particularly as my son Michael, both a member of the Gauselmann family and an experienced entrepreneur, will continue to be involved in the most critical decisions.”
