iGaming Business magazine iGB 111 July/Aug | Page 82

Feature
Shelly Suter-Hadad,
COO/MD, Mansion
Suter-Hadad joined Mansion as head of marketing operations
in 2008, having entered the industry as a consultant a couple of
years earlier. Ascending the company hierarchy steadily since
then, she has been director of business development, CCO a nd
now also managing director. Suter-Hadad led Mansion back into
sports betting earlier this year, launching MansionBet via SBTech’s
sportsbook and using its Chameleon360 platform. Since then, the
new brand has inked sponsorship deals with Gibraltar’s World
Pool MastersOne and horseracing’s York Cup. One judge described
her as “completely committed and looking to buck the trend of the
established players”. Suter-Hadad described the new product as
“a very exciting challenge which is taking a considerable portion
of my focus”. The launch is a bold move in a saturated market,
but Suter-Hadad is taking a holistic approach to getting the brand
USP, offering, digital presence and user experience right. “This
includes leveraging on each effort across all marketing activities,
including our CRM, acquisition channels and PR endeavours,” she
explains. Her influence at Mansion and across the wider market was
recognised with a Women In Gaming Award last year, the same year
that she oversaw the rebrand of Mansion’s casino.com brand. Her
advice to women wanting to make their mark on the industry is to
think of yourself as a leader before all else. “Forget your nationality,
your gender, your status or anything else holding you back,” she
says. “Be brave! Go out there, speak up, share your ideas and take a
chance! There is no perfect timing – good timing is good enough.”
A natural mentor, Suter-Hadad says it is one of the most rewarding
parts of her job to bring other people on and develop them.
“Nothing is as rewarding as chaperoning someone through
the process of self-discovery and development;
setting audacious goals, achieving personal
accountability and learning the
power of persistence,”
she says.
80

iGamingBusiness | Issue 111 | July/August 2018
Irina Cornides,
CEO, Jackpotjoy Gaming
Cornides has been CEO of the Jackpot Joy gaming brand since
May, having successfully led its operations division since 2015.
As one of the only female CEOs in the industry, she heads up
a company that holds circa 22% of the UK bingo market. She
joined the firm in 2014 following Intertain’s acquisition of bingo
operator Mandalay Media, where she was managing director,
which later became Jackpot Joy. She has also held senior roles at
Party Gaming and BGO, as direct marketing manager and head
of bingo, respectively. Cornides says after consulting for Roland
Berger and completing her Master’s degree, she was looking
for “an entrepreneurial industry where I could put data driven
strategies into action”, when igaming came calling. “During a
windsurfing holiday in Tarifa, I met Gibraltar-based industry
professionals and my interest was piqued,” she explains.
Reflecting on her recent promotion, she says: “My sole focus
is to continue our stellar track record, outperform targets and
further grow and solidify our market position.” Her new role
gives her control of the UK’s biggest bingo brand, overseeing
the entire Jackpotjoy portfolio across all European markets,
and consequently control of the majority of group revenue
and profits. Cornides says the broad remit of her position and
the fast-paced, competitive nature of our industry is part of
what appeals to her most about her job. Her advice for women
hoping to replicate her success in the industry is to “trust in your
capabilities and surround yourself with supportive people who
believe in you; both professionally and personally”. With that
foundation to work from, she adds that you are then able “to set
ambitious goals, deliver your best and enjoy what you do”.