EMERGING LEADERS
The Advantage of Authenticity
Vik Shrestha
Chief Commercial Officer , SB22
Vik Shrestha has paved his way through the gaming industry with a focus on building new business verticals and organizations for established technology companies . When he first joined the industry over eight years ago , however , he quickly learned just how much there was to learn .
With his first role in business development , he refused to limit himself to that sector alone , instead gaining an education on how various other departments functioned . In learning types of issues and their causes , he was able to not only understand the customer ’ s product , but the challenges they faced , as well .
Shrestha then moved on to a sales management role and was fortunate enough to be embraced by generous customers who dedicated their time to helping him understand the operator side of the business . His propensity for asking questions , for welcoming new challenges , and for approaching learning opportunities with a voracious drive had served him well in his start down the senior management road . But as his career grew and his experiences broadened , he found himself changing his approach entirely .
Whereas he had once honed his concentration on achieving the highest level of results as the most productive individual contributor , he now shifted his focus to helping others build their own successes . The result ? He reaped even more success himself in his senior management roles while building strong industry relationships .
Shrestha has been inspired and mentored by multiple industry peers , but his ultimate adviser and motivator has always been his wife , whose sage advice has guided him through career changes and moments of self-doubt .
“ I take her advice and she is right 100 percent of the time ,” he says . “ Just don ’ t let her know that .”
He deeply enjoys what he does , finding the process of building new business verticals and organizations to be rewarding in its challenge . He looks back on his career with gratitude that
“ When you ’ re in the right place , your opinion is valued and career growth comes with it .”
he was able to accomplish such feats for multiple companies , proud of the teams he led and what they achieved . Based in Las Vegas , Shrestha now acts as chief commercial officer for software development company SB22 , which is building innovative technology for the digital gaming industry . He has been at the forefront of the rising legalized sports betting industry since the repeal of the federal wagering ban , and has solidified a plethora of key partnerships .
Intent on cultivating an innovative culture , Shrestha is ardent about developing diverse and all-encompassing high-performance organizations . Although proud of his accomplishments , he is prouder still of his mentees and the levels of success they have attained . In keeping an eye on industry trends , he ’ s noticing substantial opportunities for young industry professionals in sports betting and iGaming , and is excited to see the level of talent being drawn to the gaming industry . He is looking forward to the next 18 months , during which he will do what he enjoys most , secure partnerships , as he builds the U . S . organization .
For today ’ s young professionals , Shrestha offers sound advice .
“ It ’ s important to be authentic to yourself ,” he says . “ If a company doesn ’ t appreciate you for who you are , you ’ re not in the right place and it isn ’ t worth trying to climb that corporate ladder . When you ’ re in the right place , your opinion is valued and career growth comes with it .” — Marie Casias is manager of marketing and administration for The Innovation Group .
Gaming by Accident
Steve Iverson
Attorney
In his final year at South Dakota State University , Steve Iverson was unsure of what his future held . Unlike some others , he had not quite nailed down what he wanted to do when he graduated ; however , that all changed when he took one class — Federal Indian Law . A native of South Dakota , Iverson was very familiar with Indian Country , given the large Native American population and volume of reservations in the state . That one class shifted his focus ; he now wanted to go to law school and work primarily on Indian policy , which in a backwards way ultimately led him to the gaming industry .
After several years in private practice following law school , Iverson decided to go back to school and get his LLM , or masters of law , and eventually joined the National Indian Gaming Commission ( NIGC ). By default , Iverson became entrenched in the gaming industry even if that was not what he set out to do . During his time with the NIGC , he was able to establish himself as a staple within the organization and work prominently on several of the hot topic issues that are always present for the NIGC .
When looking back at his tenure as a lawyer , Iverson believes taking that leap to get his LLM in Indian law had the largest impact on his career . This leap opened a lot of professional doors and has since allowed him to pursue his passions .
One of those passions is the environment , as well as Indian law , which eventually led to his jump from the NIGC to the U . S . Department of the Interior , where he is able to practice in both fields . Though today he no longer works in the gaming industry , Iverson fully credits his team
48 Global Gaming Business SEPTEMBER 2022