Top Women Shaping the Industry: Part One

## Top Women Shaping the Industry: Part One – Individuals – iGB

This marks the third consecutive year that the iGB list of the most influential women has acknowledged the leading females in our field. Here, we unveil the women who earned a spot on this year’s roster. By: Joanne Christie

**2020 Top Women Shaping the Industry: Part One**

Prior to the global health crisis, it appeared as though gender parity in the workplace was making progress. While the pace of change wasn’t satisfactory for many, it was heading in the right direction.

The gaming sector also witnessed some positive developments last year. For instance, IGT was among 325 global enterprises included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. This index assesses companies across five key areas: female leadership, equitable compensation, inclusive work environment, sexual harassment policies, and brand support for women.

Despite the fact that UK businesses were not obligated to disclose gender pay gap data this year due to the pandemic, gambling operators did report the data, revealing a mixed picture.

For example, Ladbrokes reported a rise in the number of women holding top-earning positions (from 44.8% to 45.7%). They also reported a narrower gap in bonus pay, with women earning 88 pence for every pound earned by men, an increase from 85 pence in the previous year.

In spite of this, the average hourly pay difference between the sexes expanded, with women receiving £1 for every £1.02 earned by men, in comparison to no change the previous year.

At Coral Racing, a subsidiary of GVC, the average hourly pay for women increased from 92 pence to 94 pence from the prior year, but the percentage of women in the highest-paying roles decreased slightly from 36.9% to 36.2%. The bonus difference widened considerably, with women receiving £1 in bonuses for every £2.08 earned by men, compared to £1.54 the previous year.

At William Hill, the percentage of women in the highest-paying roles grew from 40.2% in 2018 to 40.9%, while the average hourly gender pay difference remained unchanged, with women earning £1 for every £1.06 earned by men for two years. However, the bonus difference expanded, with women earning £1 in bonuses for every £1.32 earned by men in 2019, compared to £1.28 the previous year.

Rank witnessed an improvement in the average hourly gender pay difference (women earning £1 for every £1.18 earned by men, compared to £1.23 in 2018), but both the bonus difference and the percentage of women in the highest-paying roles worsened. The former expanded to a gender bonus difference of £1.85, while the latter dropped from 30.8% to 25%.

Kindred performed poorly on all three measures in 2019. Nevertheless, the operator acknowledged this in the accompanying report and stated it anticipates the trend to reverse.

The organization acknowledged that their objective to achieve equal representation of genders by the year 2023 has, in fact, exacerbated the disparity in compensation between men and women in the immediate future. They are endeavoring to rectify this situation by recruiting a greater number of women at entry-level positions, with the intention of promoting them to higher roles in the future.

Advancement has been sluggish, but the gaming industry is not unique in this regard. A study conducted by McKinsey revealed that progress toward gender equity has been remarkably slow over the past several years.

The study also cautioned that the global health crisis could potentially worsen the situation for women. They indicated that women are experiencing job losses at a significantly higher rate than men due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is partially attributed to the fact that women are more likely to be employed in sectors that have been severely impacted by the pandemic. However, it is also due to the heightened pressures faced by women with children.

Balancing remote work and educating children at home has been exceptionally challenging for families, and women have been disproportionately burdened with this responsibility.

A recent study of parents in almost 5,000 traditional, two-parent households in the United Kingdom revealed that mothers were one and a half times more likely than fathers to have lost their jobs or opted to leave their positions since the start of the pandemic.

The study was carried out in April and May for the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

Among parents who continued to work, mothers took on a greater share of additional childcare duties compared to men.

A similar pattern was also emphasized in the “Women in the Workplace 2020 Report” released in September by McKinsey & Company and Lean In, which discovered that mothers were more likely than fathers to bear the brunt of housework and caregiving.

The “unforeseen” repercussions

The report also indicated that the difficulties arising from this are prompting some women to make substantial adjustments: “One in four women are contemplating what many would have deemed inconceivable less than a year ago: reducing their career aspirations or exiting the workforce entirely.”

Even more troubling, the report found that women in leadership roles are becoming particularly fatigued and are more likely than men in comparable positions to consider scaling back their career goals or leaving the workforce.

This is particularly concerning because women have historically been underrepresented in senior positions. However, advancement in this area has been more noticeable since 2015 than at other levels.

This analysis presents a positive development: between 2015 and 2020, the proportion of women in top management positions increased from 23% to 28%, and in executive leadership roles from 17% to 21%. Nevertheless, the study also cautions that the recent global health crisis could potentially reverse this advancement.

The study’s authors highlight that organizations with a greater representation of female leaders are more likely to thrive in the competitive landscape, thus emphasizing the need for companies to implement strategies to retain these valuable individuals.

Beyond business benefits, researchers have also observed that women in leadership positions have a positive influence on the overall atmosphere within organizations.

The study asserts: “In comparison to senior men, female leaders are more inclined to endorse employee-centric policies and initiatives, and champion diversity in terms of race and gender. Over half of senior women indicate that they consistently advocate for gender and racial equity in the workplace, compared to approximately 40% of senior men. They are also more likely to mentor and guide other women.” “If female leaders depart from the workforce, women at all levels may lose their most steadfast allies and supporters.”

To counteract this potential trend, it is now more crucial than ever to acknowledge women who have achieved success in the gaming industry.

In 2018, we initiated the Most Influential Women survey to recognize women who have made substantial contributions.

From that point forward, the undertaking has thrived, drawing in a greater number of industry recommendations each year – this year’s submissions were nearly triple the quantity from the previous year.

This year, a few nominees were nominated for their contributions to the sector, some for their contributions to their organizations, and others for their impact as role models or diversity proponents.

Many nominees fit into multiple categories, and the judging panel considered all of these elements when narrowing down the numerous entries to the top 10 and 5 runners-up.

Here are the top two of our 10 Most Influential Women of 2020, in alphabetical order. The rest will be released in parts two and three.

Maris Catania, Head of Responsible Gambling and Research at Kindred
If there’s one individual who laid the groundwork for the push for responsible gambling today, it’s Maris Catania. Catania joined Kindred (then Unibet) in 2009 after completing her psychology degree and set about altering the company’s approach to harm minimization.

She also went out of her way to alter the industry’s attitude towards the topic, and has long been a regular on the conference circuit, although in her early years she didn’t always find audiences willing to listen. “I used to hear all sorts of things, some individuals said you’re ruining the business,” she recalls.

Catania is the main force behind Kindred’s revolutionary Player Safety Early Detection System (PS-EDS), which industry experts claim has halted “thousands of gamblers from becoming hooked” because it ensures players “are recognized early, preventing them from developing a dependency, enabling them to truly learn to wager responsibly.”

Catania has received numerous honors and awards for her work in accountable gambling, which she states she is “humbled by and proud of the accomplishments thus far.”

However, she adds, “I still feel it’s not sufficient. Many associates joke that I’m a night owl because I’m always responding to messages, but this is a field where we need to constantly learn. I’ll never be content or say we’ve done enough.”

To this end, she is developing a new version of the PS-EDS. “I’m very pleased with this because it translates the DSM-5 standards (diagnostic criteria used by psychiatrists and psychologists) into a system that will increase from about five indicators to about 20.”

When asked how she faced resistance to achieve success, Catania said, “It sounds overused, but be yourself and be persistent. If you believe in it, stay with it.”

Lara Falzon, Chief Financial Officer of Operations at NetEnt/Red Tiger

NetEnts acquisition of Red Tiger was a significant event, with CEO Therese Hillman receiving much acclaim for recognizing the necessity of a substantial shift for the organization. However, she wasn’t the sole female figure who played a crucial role in this major transaction. Red Tiger’s Chief Financial Officer, Lara Falzon, was also a key participant.

Falzon joined Red Tiger when it lacked even a finance team. She promptly altered the company’s business strategy, prepared it for sale to NetEnt, and spearheaded the sale.

Falzon is no stranger to large-scale deals. She only entered this industry in 2013, but she has been involved in more acquisitions than most individuals. She served as CFO at King when it was sold to Activision Blizzard, and subsequently held the position of Group CFO at Evoke Gaming when it was acquired by Mr Green.

Falzon finds her work fulfilling: “As CFO, I believe that major transactions are the outcome of all the diligent effort the company has invested. It’s what makes my job so gratifying.”

She considers the Red Tiger deal a pivotal moment in her career, particularly because she was expecting a child when she joined the company. “Red Tiger was supposed to be a risky undertaking. I desired it, but I was uncertain if I could manage it, given my circumstances.”

Fortunately, Red Tiger provided her with strong support, and it clearly proved beneficial for both the company and NetEnt.

Falzons appointment as Chief Operating Officer of NetEnt this year was not unexpected, as the merger has demonstrated its value repeatedly.

However, assuming the position in February of this year, coinciding with the start of the pandemic, presented a challenge for her. “Everyone was working remotely, so I couldn’t even establish personal connections with the team reporting to me,” she stated. “Furthermore, I have a two-year-old, and to make things work, I was frequently awake at 2 am.”

She mentions that she was motivated by other exceptional working mothers, like Hillman, and hopes to serve as an example for others. “I have a member of my team who wants to start a family, but is also very ambitious,” she said. “My objective is to be a role model for this individual, to demonstrate to her that if I can achieve it, she can too. I believe that as women, we should provide support to one another.”

We will be releasing the remaining women on this year’s list in segments two and three on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

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