With just over a week to go until the Most Influential Women 2024 survey closes, here’s an opportunity to meet some of the esteemed industry heavyweights that will be judging submissions and helping to find this year’s winners.
This year’s Most Influential Women campaign will close its submissions on 31 October. Following that our judges will sit down and use a scoring system to determine who should be recognised as a pioneer in their field this year.
It’s no easy feat picking the standout winners from an impressive line-up of industry changemakers, but thankfully we have the help of some of the industry’s most respected individuals to make the tough decisions for us.
This is an opportunity to get to know some of the masterminds behind the MIW campaign, whose careers span decades in gaming across all fields and specialties, from company operations to recruitment, law, sustainability, personal development, regulation, B2B and more.
Vote here!
Dr Laila Mintas, strategic advisor and board member
When asked what she hopes the MIW campaign can achieve, Mintas says she hopes that honouring the amazing female leaders in our industry will encourage other females to keep fighting for their success.
“While I certainly appreciate and recognise the change over the last few decades, I strongly believe that we are not there yet [in fully acknowledging the leading females in our sector] and that we need more role models and success stories to tell,” she insists.
“As a mother of two young girls, I want them to grow up in a society where nobody is disadvantaged for their gender, race, religion etc. It is an ongoing process and I want our campaign to encourage and inspire all the females out there to have the vision to reach for more than what is offered to them.”
Mintas has a rich career history in sports law and as an executive and thought leader within the betting and gaming industry. Some of her most prominent roles include deputy president at Sportradar US and head of legal and international development at FIFA Early Warning System.
She has extensive and unique 360-degree experience in the industry, having worked in hands on roles as CEO for US betting operator PlayUp and then B2B betting and gaming provider PlayEngine. Through her roles as strategic advisor, Mintas has been involved in many deals and has even dabbled in the media and crypto worlds.
Britt Boeskov, board member for Better Collective and others
On the importance of the campaign Boeskov says Most Influential Women offers visibility, connection and recognition for the women who are nominated. “But equally as important is it offers aspirational and highly relatable role models for the increasingly diverse people who seek to shape, improve and grow our industry,” she adds.
With 20 years of experience in the gambling industry, Britt Boeskov is a board member and advisor specialising in strategy, customer experience and sustainability.
She currently serves on the boards of Better Collective, GAMING1 Group, Racecourse Media Group, Mindway AI and MAG Interactive and owns the boutique advisory service 4see Advice.
Richard Schuetz, CEO at Schuetz LLC
“My hope for the Most Influential Women campaign is that it helps to increase the awareness of the many talented women in the gaming space,” says Schuetz on the aim of the MIW campaign. “I do not want firms to set out to just hire a woman, but rather, look to hire the best candidate and understand that it is often a woman.”
Schuetz has served in many capacities within the industry, including operations, finance and marketing. He has held senior executive positions up to and including CEO in jurisdictions across the United States, including Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno/Tahoe, Laughlin, Minnesota, Mississippi and Louisiana.
He has also consulted, taught around the globe and served as a member of the California Gambling Control Commission and executive director of the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission.
Claire Adamou, igaming marketing consultant and leadership coach
“Recognising influential women in gaming is crucial for creating a more equitable and inclusive industry. When I entered this field nearly 20 years ago, it was striking how few female managers, leaders, and C-Suite executives there were,” Adamou notes, reflecting on her career in gaming.
“The lack of role models made it easy to feel that such achievements were beyond my reach. However, initiatives like the Most Influential Women campaign shine a light on those remarkable women who not only break barriers but also inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
She believes celebrating the industry’s trailblazers helps to foster a sense of community and encouragement, by proving that anything is possible. “By honouring these contributions, we help pave the way for future generations, ensuring that the gaming industry evolves into a space where diverse voices are recognised and valued,” she notes.
Adamou has spent the majority of her career in gaming. She founded iGamingXL in 2018 to assist gambling companies growing their affiliate programmes. Today she works with management training business Saroca which provides corporate training both online and offline, specialising in organisational effectiveness and talent programme development. She is also head of operations at American iGaming Solutions.
