Slot machine maker and digital content provider Aristocrat Leisure Ltd announced on Friday the appointment of Bob Serr (pictured left) as the group’s chief technology officer (CTO). The company also named Dafne Guisard (pictured right) to the new position of chief commercial officer for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
Mr Serr’s role “will commence in February, subject to any regulatory approvals,” stated the gaming supplier in a press release. He was appointed to the position after Andy Hendrickson resigned in March last year as Aristocrat’s CTO, and joined market-rival International Game Technology Plc (IGT).
The new Aristocrat CTO will be based in the United States. He is said to bring “deep expertise” in artificial intelligence (AI), emerging technologies, and enterprise-scale innovation.
Mr Serr previously held senior leadership positions at Azure Communication Services, part of technology giant Microsoft Corp. He also worked as director of software development for Alexa Skills Kit at Amazon.com Inc, and as CTO at Double Down Interactive LLC, a company previously owned by IGT.
According to the update, Ms Guisard joins Aristocrat in a “newly created role to lead the company’s growth and expansion” across the EMEA.
“Based in London, she brings more than 20 years of senior leadership experience across commercial growth, operations, and digital transformation in complex, regulated, multi-country environments,” the company said.
Most recently, she was chief operations officer at sports betting and gaming group Entain Plc. Prior to that, she was chief digital, strategy and operations officer at The Kraft Heinz Co. She also spent nearly a decade at Anheuser Busch InBev in senior commercial and finance roles.
“In this newly created position, Ms Guisard will be responsible for driving the execution of Aristocrat’s EMEA expansion strategy and strengthening Aristocrat’s business across the region,” the gaming supplier said in Friday’s announcement.
She will begin work in February, subject to any regulatory approvals, it added.
The update said the two newly-appointed executives will report directly to Aristocrat group chief executive and managing director, Trevor Croker. They will also join the group’s executive steering committee.
The release cited Mr Croker as saying: “I am delighted to welcome leaders of the calibre of Dafne and Bob. Both have proven track records in scaling businesses, driving transformation, and building high-performing teams.”
He added: “Dafne’s commercial and operational leadership will be critical as we accelerate our European growth ambitions, while Bob’s technology expertise will help us continue to advance innovation and execution at enterprise scale.”
