The 5 Star Top 20 Award is the most prestigious accolade that recognises individuals in iGaming.
We aim to uncover and celebrate people who inspire success.
These Awards are not a popularity contest, to win you must impress a panel of esteemed, influential judges all of whom are industry experts. The judging is a robust, credible and transparent two-step process involving pre-scoring and judging sessions where your entry will be discussed in detail.
5 Star Top 20 Awards winners 2023
Ashley Lang, CEO, Pragmatic Solutions. Award: Leadership.
Ashley Lang holds over two decades of top leadership experience in the iGaming industry. Before assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer at Pragmatic Solutions, he founded and led the jackpot entertainment brand Lottomart and the iGaming and content marketplace developer Odobo. Additionally, he spent over fourteen years as a non-executive gaming director at bet365, following his tenure as the head of marketing at Mansion Group.
With his significant involvement in leading companies on both the B2B and B2C sides of the industry, he possesses a comprehensive understanding of operators’ needs at every level of their business. Leveraging this extensive background and entrepreneurial expertise in the iGaming arena, Ashley brings forth exceptional solutions for clients’ business growth, fostering genuine partnerships with each of them while maintaining a genuine passion for technological development.
Alessandra Pasqualotto, Head of Finance, WolrdMatch. Award: Leadership
Alessandra started her journey with WorldMatch as an accounting professional. Over the years, she has cultivated unparalleled skills, rising to the role of Head of Finance. Alessandra’s journey exemplifies dedication and mastery. Her deep expertise in the online gaming sector and rare professional skills have been invaluable to WorldMatch’s success.
What sets Alessandra apart is not merely her job title but the multifaceted impact she has had on various aspects of our business. She is not just an asset; she is an irreplaceable force that has shaped our trajectory towards innovation and excellence.
Her deep understanding of the intricacies of the online gaming sector has been instrumental in steering WorldMatch through the challenges and opportunities that characterize this dynamic industry.
Alessandra’s influence extends beyond her immediate responsibilities. She has become a guiding light, inspiring and mentoring colleagues with her profound knowledge and strategic insights. Her ability to navigate complexities with ease and provide strategic direction has been pivotal in positioning WorldMatch as a leader in the online gaming domain.
Emil Hakobian, CEO, Relum. Award: Leadership.
Emil is the CEO of Relum, the online casino engine provider redefining the vision of optimal iGaming solutions with features and a toolbox to scale your gaming business.
Emil has many years of experience in digital software engineering, full-stack technology development, and digital transformation across business silos.
Using his background in agile delivery, combined with scrum management principles, was brought to bear with Relum solution in a short time frame, providing instant access to 14,000+ games of more than 180+ content providers via single API integration.
Emil commenced his career as a full stack engineer before quickly rising to product management positions and holding chief product officer roles within platform providers in the iGaming ecosystem.
Before taking up his role as CEO of Relum, he was previously Chief Product Officer for Digitan for nearly two years.
Emil leads the whole team from the front, and is a great role model and mentor to not only his direct team, but the wider team, which includes 3,000 employees throughout the group.
Yana Nuzhdina, Betsoft Gaming, Account Manager. Award: Rising star.
Yana is blessed with an endless supply of creativity, patience, thoughtfulness in approach and determination to succeed which make her one of Betsoft’s biggest stars in the Account Management team. Clients admire and appreciate her talent, professionalism, and commitment to her work that make their lives easy and their contracts profitable.
Hugely personable and approachable, Yana’s creativity, numeracy and innovation skills are also well honed. Fully bi-lingual in Russian and English, Yana is a strategic thinker, a team player and a rising star in business. Shrewd and analytical, she is able to make sound decisions and always delivers.
As one of the youngest members of the Betsoft team, her abilities are even more impressive and her potential is unlimited.
Aregnaz Hakobyan, Group Chief Marketing Officer, Digitain. Award: Marketing.
Aregnaz commenced her role with Digitain on the 17th of January 2022.
With a career in marketing spanning several years in Telecommunications, Banking, and Hospitality with major international brands, she has been a thought leader and supporter, role model, mother, and mentor for women’s empowerment, development, inclusion, and progression.
Within a short time of entering the Digitain business, Aregnaz and her team have created a strong culture around the brand, the people, and the customers of the company, setting the foundations for a business that not only supports but embraces and celebrates female leadership.
She brought to life an industry first in the iGaming B2B Supply chain, collaborating with legendary footballer Luis Figo, the Brand Ambassador for the Digitain business, now in its second year of collaboration.
Further highlights include ten industry-leading awards for the sportsbook and iGaming platform, further testament to Aregnaz’s inclusive approach to brand storytelling and promotion and support for women in gaming with leadership and visionary goals.
Kami Scerri, Head of Brand, Betsoft Gaming. Award: Marketing.
Working with a wealth of global, top performing companies as her training ground, Kami joined Betsoft to deliver a new edge to social media campaigns. Within a year, social media follower numbers had doubled across platforms and engagement hit an all-time high.
Promoted to Head of Brand with a full marketing team of content writers; marketing executives, graphic designers and web managers reporting to her, Kami’s mix of creativity and data analytics skill has ensured that her campaigns deliver results for both Betsoft and its clients.
Working in conjunction with other departments at Betsoft, the marketing team under Kami ensures that internal and external comms – both digital and print, all product releases, client artpacks, trade show and exhibition design and internal and external social events all deliver guaranteed creativity with best practice for measurable results with significant ROI.
Svitlana Kravchenko, Head of Service Operations, Pragmatic Solutions. Award: Operations.
Svitlana Kravchenko is an accomplished manager with a strong background in process management, release, delivery, commercials, and team management.
She earned her Master’s Degree in Psychology from Kyiv International University before embarking on her successful career in the iGaming industry.
Joining Pragmatic Solutions as a Programme Manager, Svitlana quickly showcased her exceptional skills and dedication, leading to her recent promotion to Head of Service Operations. With her wealth of experience from her tenure at Playtech and other B2B businesses, she has demonstrated a profound understanding of the company’s operations. Her instrumental role in managing several demanding strategic projects has solidified her position as a key contributor within the organization.
As Head of Service Operations, Svitlana currently plays a pivotal role in overseeing Pragmatic Solutions’ service delivery operations, streamlining processes, and driving continuous improvements to boost customer satisfaction.
Svitlana’s strategic acumen and operational expertise have been instrumental in driving Pragmatic Solutions’ continued success and growth in the competitive iGaming industry.
Iain Hutchison, Chief Revenue Officer, Digitain. Award: Leadership
Iain has held C-level sales, marketing, and commercial positions and started his iGaming journey with Connextra in 2002.
His recent tenure was with the multi-dollar cap Genius Sports, holding sales and commercial director positions with latterly nearly four years as the group’s Chief Revenue Officer.
With over 20 years of experience building and scaling successful technology start-ups in sports-betting, digital marketing, live trading, and sports-betting affiliates, delivering significant revenue growth and leading organizational transformations across commercial activities, technology, and developing execution strategies.
Under the leadership of Iain and with the broader team, Digitain has achieved double-digit growth in short order and worked with 150+ partners, across several regulated markets.
Zheng Chen, Chief Technology Officer, Omega Systems. Award: Leadership.
Zheng Chen, a visionary in the field of technology, serves as the Chief Technology Officer at OMEGA Systems. With a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and Management, Zheng embarked on his journey with OMEGA in 2011.
As one of the longest-serving members of the OMEGA Systems team, Zheng’s commitment to innovation and excellence has been nothing short of remarkable. His career at OMEGA began as a dedicated developer, and through unwavering dedication and a strong technical aptitude, he ascended to the position of CTO.
Zheng’s passion for the development of cutting-edge technology has been a driving force behind OMEGA’s success. As a leader in the technology landscape, Zheng continues to inspire and lead OMEGA Systems towards new frontiers in the ever-evolving world of software and technology.
Elisabeth Isaksson, Head of Regulatory and Compliance at Soft2Bet. Award: Legal and compliance.
Elisabeth Isaksson has been Head of Regulatory and Compliance at Soft2Bet since 2022 and boasts an illustrious career spanning over a decade in the iGaming sector. Elisabeth’s journey commenced with Betsson Group, where she spent six years, starting in Customer Service and later transitioning to Responsible Gaming.
Her career path then took her to Jackpotjoy Group and Casumo, where she honed her Compliance and Responsible Gambling expertise. Following her time at these companies, she played pivotal roles at SlotsMillion, first as the Director of Compliance, then transitioning into the dual role of COO and Chief of Staff.
Elisabeth is a global professional who has made her mark from Malta to Barcelona, amassing a wealth of knowledge in regulatory compliance, risk management, and operations. She has made key contributions to all the companies she has worked with and she is a Soft2Bet cornerstone when it comes to navigating the complex regulatory frameworks of online gaming.
Yoel Zuckerberg, CPO, Soft2Bet. Award: Product and innovation.
Yoel Zuckerberg embraced the role of Chief Product Officer at Soft2Bet when he joined the group towards the end of 2022. With a remarkable 15-year career in the gambling industry, Yoel’s influence spans the European and US territories, making notable strides in the B2C and B2B sectors. His professional experience includes CRM, operations, SEO, acquisition and payments, covering all the key pillars of online casino and sports Betting.
Before joining Soft2Bet, Yoel made his mark in pivotal roles at industry giants like Aspire Global, Ladbrokes and 888Holdings. At Soft2Bet, Yoel is the driving force behind product innovation and company strategy.
Dean Peters-Wright, Director of Product, Pragmatic Solutions. Award: Product and innovation.
Dean Peters-Wright is an accomplished and versatile business and technology manager with a rich history of success in the iGaming industry.
Dean has extensive experience in leading companies both the B2B and B2C side of the industry, which gave him a deep understanding of platform products, from ideation to the final player experience.
Before joining Pragmatic Solutions as Director of Product, he held the positions of Head of Product at Sportsradar for two years, and Head of Programme Management at Lottoland for six years. He has shown a remarkable talent for managing multimillion-pound portfolios and remote, geo-located teams while fostering high performance and autonomy.
Displaying a strong commitment to staying at the forefront of industry best practices, Dean holds numerous Product Management and Agile certifications, adding to his MBA from the University of Hertfordshire.
David Yatom Hay,General Counsel, Soft2Bet. Award: Legal and compliance.
David Yatom Hay joined Soft2Bet as its General Counsel this year and his impact on the company has been significant.
A seasoned professional, David’s experience spans more than a decade, during which he has masterfully represented gambling companies in complex mergers, acquisitions and crucial deals. His expertise covers a broad spectrum, from sports betting platforms to B2B operations and extends to his interactions with B2C firms.
David has successfully overseen licensing ventures across key European nations and the U.S., showcasing his prowess in AML regulations and GDPR compliance.
Nelli Melik, Head of Sales, Uplatform. Award: Business development.
Nelli Melik, Uplatform’s dynamic Head of Sales and seasoned Business Development Manager, brings 8+ years of iGaming experience and a proven track record of market expansion across CIS, Europe, and Asia.
Consistently surpassing targets and achieving exemplary results, she combines a profound understanding of the iGaming sector with persuasive communication to emerge as a reliable advisor to clients, thereby catalyzing remarkable sales growth for Uplatform.
Nelli’s leadership and innovative spirit shine through in the fortification of a robust sales team and swift, successful deployment of a new sales process at Uplatform.
Her strategic and analytical prowess has spurred notable enhancements in sales performance, with refined strategies and tactics boosting conversion rates and amplifying revenue.
Implementing an innovative, data-informed approach and utilizing the latest sales methodologies, Nelli has not only streamlined processes but also significantly uplifted Uplatform’s revenue. Her leadership has cultivated a positive sales culture, enhancing overall team performance.
Leonid Pertsovskiy, CEO, Betby. Award: Leadership.
Leonid Pertsovskiy is Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of sports betting solutions provider, Betby.
A serial entrepreneur, he has founded three companies, with Betby swiftly establishing itself as a forward-thinking, innovative software provider for both sportsbook and esports products.
Boasting a masters degree in Innovation Management, Pertsovskiy continues to drive Betby forward to new heights and enter new markets.
Gil Soffer, SVP, Galaxsys. Award: Leadership.
Gil is an entrepreneur, lawyer and business consultant and founder of companies in the high tech and international commerce sectors.
He has worked in gaming, telecommunications, internet services, textiles, pharmaceutical, energy and optics and consumer goods.
In addition Gil, has 5 years of experience as a lawyer, as a prosecutor and solicitor specialised in company and business law.
Patrick Mann, Chief Commercial Officer, OMEGA Systems. Award: Business development.
Patrick joined OMEGA Systems in 2015 as a Customer Support Specialist. One of the most remarkable aspects of Patrick Mann’s journey is the unexpected path he embarked on.
Despite completing his degree in law school, Patrick’s interest in the iGaming industry served as a powerful catalyst, leaving behind a promising law career.
He delved headfirst into OMEGA’s products and services, swiftly gaining an in-depth understanding that would become the foundation of his impressive career. His journey within the company reflects his ability to embrace change, learn, and adapt, propelling him to the position of Chief Commercial Officer.
Phil Brown, Head of Marketing, Sportingtech. Award: Marketing.
A marketing expert with a decade of experience in the dynamic iGaming industry. For the past two years, Phil has had the privilege of leading marketing initiatives at Sportingtech, a trailblazing iGaming platform provider. Prior to this, he spent six years at Clarion Events, where he honed his skills as a Marketing Manager.
His focus was the gaming and digital marketing sectors, and he played a pivotal role in the success of two of the industry’s largest events: ICE, the premier gaming show, and Affiliate Summit, the world’s largest affiliate marketing event. His journey is a testament to my passion for driving success in the ever-evolving world of iGaming and marketing.
Ailbhe O’Reilly, Director of Account Management, OMEGA Systems. Award: Leadership.
Ailbhe O’Reilly is a dynamic professional with a proven track record in the iGaming industry, currently holding the prestigious position of Director of Account Management at OMEGA Systems.
Her career journey began in a recruitment consultancy firm, specializing in talent acquisition for the iGaming sector. She then joined a leading online casino as Operations Manager, swiftly garnering insights and experience in the gaming B2C sector during her tenure, expanding her expertise in this ever-evolving field
In 2019, Ailbhe embarked on her journey with OMEGA Systems, assuming the role of Account Manager. This marked the inception of an impactful career within our organization. Ailbhe’s tenure with OMEGA has been characterized by her unwavering commitment to understanding our products inside and out. Her ability to comprehend the intricacies of our offerings, coupled with her exceptional interpersonal skills, has been instrumental in fostering robust client relationships and driving remarkable results.
Yana Mareva, Head of PMO & Account Management, Uplatform. Award: Leadership.
Yana boasts over 9 years of extensive experience in the IT industry, right from the inception of her career.
Her journey, which began in business process automation and implementing large-scale ERP systems from global software producers, has seen her spearhead the development of tailored web solutions from scratch and manage IT teams with adept skill.
With a Master’s degree in Computer Science and a special focus on choosing market solutions across various classes like BI, electronic document management, and HR to meet diverse business requirements, Yana has been proficient in calculating project economics and implementing solutions.
In the iGaming industry for 1.5 years, her stellar leadership, strategic oversight, and innovative project management methodologies at Uplatform have paved the way for enhanced team performance, increased profitability, and elevated client satisfaction, ensuring successful and seamless delivery of numerous projects