BRING IN THE ‘ A ’ TEAM
Ainsworth is revitalized with new direction and new focus
BY JESS MARQUEZ
Not all brands are created equal . Some carry a certain cache , a sense of expertise and timelessness , a one-word recognizability that requires no further introduction . Often , this comes in the form of a name . Think of Tiffany , Gucci , Bentley and others .
In gaming , one such brand is Ainsworth Game Technology , the lovechild of industry pioneer and centenarian Len Ainsworth . Founded in 1995 , the company has historically been known for its high-denomination games . But since the start of the 2020s , the company has undergone several changes , both in personnel and in focus .
In its quest to revitalize the influence of the Ainsworth brand , the company has opted to diversify and invest in new offerings while implementing a development strategy centered around hard data and regional specificities . The highly expansionary environment of recent years has grown the North American game database hand over fist , which has allowed Ainsworth to carve market share and develop a distinct identity apart from the Big Three of Aristocrat , IGT and Light & Wonder .
As North American President Deron Hunsberger notes , that momentum of steady growth has caused the industry to take notice , which in turn has attracted a new wave of talent eager to take part in that growth .
“ People want to be part of a winning situation and success in an organization , so I think as we ’ ve had some success , people open their eyes to the opportunity of coming to work for Ainsworth . Being a smaller manufacturer gives you an opportunity to influence and direct the product that ’ s going to the market , and be an integral part of the success ,” he says .
The introduction of industry veteran Harald Neumann as CEO in October 2021 was a turning point in the new direction , Hunsberger posits , as he “ recognized early on the need to invest our capital in development . And that ’ s not just dollars , but also human capital .”
Right Place , Right Time
Two pieces of that human capital investment who have already played big roles in the company ’ s repositioning are Sean Evans , vice president of product strategy , marketing and sales , and Keith Kruczynski , vice president of
“ Being a smaller manufacturer gives you an opportunity to influence and direct the product that ’ s going to the market , and be an integral part of the success .”
— Deron Hunsberger , President , North America , Ainsworth
North American studios . Both accumulated decades of experience at other big names around the industry , and both have found a new home at Ainsworth at a pivotal time in its trajectory .
For Evans , the decision to join the company was one fueled primarily by the opportunity to put that prior experience to work and build something new .
“ I ’ m in my 33rd year in the industry now , and I ’ ve gotten to the stage where I actually like to build businesses ,” Evans says . “ Once companies grow to the point where they ’ re just trying to get minor incremental improvements , it becomes a bit of a mind-numbingly boring experience .”
Having observed the company for years from afar , he knew upon arrival that Ainsworth “ has always been known to produce very high-performing high-denomination games .” But continued research and development is crucial to keep pace with an ever-expanding list of competitors . From a strategy and marketing perspective , Evans knew that the high-denom sector only represents about 8-10 percent of the overall mar-
14 Global Gaming Business DECEMBER 2024