This week, notable leadership changes and strategic shifts emerged across the gaming industry, highlighted by Scientific Games appointing a new CEO and other companies realigning their executive teams for growth and innovation.
Scientific Games announced that Dan Flynn has been named the new chief executive officer, effective Monday. Flynn takes over from Pat McHugh, who retired in September. Kevin Schneider, who served as interim CEO following McHugh’s departure, will transition to chairman of the board. Schneider has been with the organization since 2022, first as an independent director and then as vice chairman starting in March. Flynn brings experience from CDK Global, where he was chief transformation officer, and previously led Caterpillar's global rental and used equipment business, which generated over $4 billion in annual sales. He also held senior positions at Hertz for more than two decades. In a significant industry event, Flynn will represent Scientific Games at the World Lottery Summit in Sydney from November 9-13.
In other developments, FanDuel confirmed that Christian Genetski will be officially appointed as its CEO, effective January 1, 2027. Genetski has been serving on an interim basis since May, following the departure of Amy Howe. Flutter's CEO, Dan Taylor, praised Genetski for his deep understanding of the business and the continuity his permanent role will provide during a vital growth phase for FanDuel. Genetski has been a part of FanDuel since 2015, originally as chief legal officer and later taking on additional responsibilities as chief commercial officer and president.
Novig also made a noteworthy promotion, naming Ari Hirsch as its first chief product officer as the company moves further into the realm of sports prediction markets. Hirsch, who has been instrumental in Novig’s technology development since its inception in 2023, will oversee product design and engineering processes while reporting directly to co-founder and CTO Kelechi Ukah.
Hacksaw Gaming appointed Philippa Gregory as Operational CEO of its subsidiary Hacksaw Gaming, succeeding Marcus Cordes, who will dedicate his efforts to building a team for a new B2B prediction markets platform launched in October. Gregory has been part of Hacksaw since April 2022 and has been a member of Group Management since January 2025.
Paysafe announced the hiring of Rob Schonfeld as chief revenue officer on November 2. Schonfeld will lead Paysafe's global revenue strategy, including sales and business development efforts. With over 25 years in the industry, he previously served as chief business officer at Ludeo and global revenue officer at Activision Blizzard, where he contributed during the company’s sale to Microsoft.
Lastly, SciPlay, a division of Light & Wonder, has begun its search for a new CEO following Josh Wilson's departure on October 30. Oliver Chow, the CFO of Light & Wonder, has taken on executive oversight temporarily as the company seeks a permanent replacement. SciPlay reported a 12% decline in revenue year-over-year, amounting to $173 million in Q3, as it navigates challenging market conditions.
