Most Influential Women 2024: Meet the judges (part two)

With the Most Influential Women 2024 survey closing in less than a week we’re proud to present an esteemed panel of eight judges that will be deciding who makes this year’s MIW winners list. 

This year’s Most Influential Women campaign will close for 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.  

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 Most Influential Women campaign, whose careers span decades in gaming across all fields and specialties, from operations to recruitment, law, sustainability, personal development, regulation, B2B and more. You can check out our first four judges, published earlier in the week.  

Vote here! 

Sarafina Wolde Gabriel, CEO of Rightlander 

“Celebrating the diversity of talent that drives our industry forward and inspires our next generation of female leaders is a privilege to be a part of,” says Sarafina Wolde Gabriel of the Most Influential Women campaign. 

“It’s an honour to judge the Most Influential Women award and learn about the various remarkable achievements realised by my fellow colleagues. Thank you Clarion and the team for providing a platform that highlights the excellence and contribution achieved by female leaders across all sectors of our industry.” 

Her career spans 20 years in digital marketing, with more than a decade’s worth of expertise in leadership within the performance and affiliate marketing sectors. As Rightlander’s current CEO Gabriel champions the company’s growth and diversification through new market opportunities, product innovation and strategic partnerships.   

She previously held roles at Paysafe’s Income Access as director of affiliate marketing, CMO and then VP of strategy. Here she successfully managed the affiliate department, which collected six awards for the iGB Best Affiliate Network.

During her tenure as CMO the company picked up five awards in the Best Affiliate Software category and three for Best Acquisition Partner. Gabriel focused on providing direction for marketing and developing innovative solutions. She has also spent time at geolocation and fraud prevention company GeoComply.

Lauren Bates, VP of sales, Canada & Midwest at Light & Wonder

“By recognising these trailblazers, we elevate their voices and stories, showing the world what is possible when women lead and innovate!” Lauren Bates relays. She has first-hand experience in honouring women in gaming through the Global Gaming Women (GGW) initiative which seeks to empower, support and elevate women in gaming through education, mentorship and networking opportunities.

“In an industry that’s historically male-dominated, my goal is to amplify the impact these women have, ensuring their achievements are not just acknowledged within the industry but globally, as examples of what excellence looks like in gaming. It’s about shifting the narrative and empowering the next generation of women to know they too can be among the most influential.”

Under Bates’ leadership GGW has launched several transformative initiatives, including leadership development programmes and industry partnerships that create pathways for women to thrive at every stage of their careers. She is deeply committed to advancing diversity and inclusion within the industry.

At Light & Wonder, Bates leads a high-performing sales team, driving growth and expanding the company’s footprint across key markets. She brings over 17 years of experience in gaming, including a successful tenure as vice president at Konami Gaming.

Emily Haruko Leeb, founder and CEO of Saroca  

“I love to read each and every single interview of all those recognised in the Most Influential Women campaign each year. We find their stories inspiring, uplifting and their ambition to strive for excellence in their career shows that the sky’s the limit for anyone,” Emily Leeb notes.  

“iGB’s annual Most Influential Women list recognises those women who have not only built incredible careers within the igaming industry, but are recognised for their achievements from their peers, which is one of the greatest accolades you could wish for.” 

Leeb, in her day-to-day role at Saroca, helps companies invest in their own talent and culture as a seasoned executive, life and leadership coach, and every day she champions diversity by fuelling clients to drive change within their roles.  

She has over a decade of experience in the world of corporate transformation. Her remarkable journey of serial entrepreneurship was initiated at the age of 19 when she founded her own direct sales company. She then moved into advertising, followed by a career in media production management within the igaming sector.  

Andrew Bulloss, partner at Odgers Berndtson 

“Most Influential Women is always something I look forward to being involved in,” Andrew Bulloss, partner at Odgers Berndtson says. As a returning judge Bulloss has first-hand experience of the judging process and the impact the campaign has had on the sector.  

He specialises in executive search for organisations recruiting senior executive, C-level and non-executive directors in the international gaming and gambling industries. He is the practice head of international recruitment specialist Odgers Berndtson and is responsible for promoting its global capabilities. 

Bulloss also runs the firm’s UK Sports, Media and Corporate Affairs teams, supporting the growth strategy in each of these sub-sectors alongside other partners and colleagues. Prior to joining Odgers Berndtson, he spent eight years running recruitment teams within a UK-listed executive recruitment business, handling senior search and selection assignments in the technology/online, consumer goods and financial services industries in the UK and Europe.