NEXT.io Podcast - podcast cover

NEXT.io Podcast

NEXT.iowww.next.io
The primary podcast of the iGaming industry. Hosted by Pierre Lindh, it brings you episodes that are packed with expert insights, dynamic discussions, and inspiring stories from industry leaders. Whether you're seeking leadership tips, energy management strategies, or insider knowledge, NEXT.io podcasts are your go-to resource for staying ahead in the industry. Check out our YouTube channel for more content: https://www.youtube.com/@nextdotio Dive into our website to explore more: https://next.io/
Last refreshed:
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Heidi Lofthus #5 - Fiona Ewins Brown, Chief HR Officer (CHRO), Catena Media (Catena 2021: Transformation and Development)

With over 20 years’ experience working in HR, Fiona has amassed a wealth of HR skills and knowledge in a variety of areas. Fiona’s HR background has seen her work within global organisations with offices around the world. She has gained HR experience in Australia, the UK, and, most recently, Malta. Prior to her current role as Chief HR Officer at Catena Media, and member of the management team, Fiona worked with such reputable organisations as GFI Software, Morgan Stanley, and Ernst & Young....

Jul 01, 202148 minEp. 5

Pierre Lindh #62 - James Scicluna, Co-managing Partner, WH Partners (What the Maltese greylisting means to the local iGaming industry)

James is a Malta Advocate and a Solicitor of the Senior Court of England and Wales. He has practiced law in the UK and Malta both in private practice and as in house counsel. James provides advice mainly to the Gaming, Financial Services, Real Estate and Hospitality industries. His areas of expertise are: government relations, gambling regulation, devising strategic commercial solutions within a regulated environment, IPR licensing, sport sponsorship, brand development and protection, mergers an...

Jun 25, 202134 minEp. 62

Pierre Lindh #59 - Tsachi Maimon, CEO, Aspire Global (Aspire Global's plans to become the world-leading iGaming B2B supplier)

Tsachi Maimon has been prevalent in the iGaming industry since 2008, having previously worked at Playtech before joining Aspire Global as a board member and CEO in 2013. Bringing with him a wealth of industry knowledge, Tsachi has played a key role in the major developments the company has seen. Some of these include listing the company on the Nasdaq stock exchange, as well as the acquisition of games aggregator Pariplay and sportsbook supplier BtoBet. His leadership largely contributed to Aspir...

Jun 17, 20211 hr 4 minEp. 59

Jesper Kärrbrink #4 - Henrik Tjärnström, CEO, Kindred Group (Kindred history, responsible gaming, US, Bitcoin and much more)

Long before he was appointed CEO in 2010, Henrik Tjärnström was a part of the Kindred Group (then Unibet Group). He joined the Board of Directors in 2003 and was part of the Board until when he stepped into the role as Chief Financial Officer in 2008. Henrik holds an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Institute of Technology, Linköping University, Sweden. Before joining the Kindred Group, he was employed as Senior Financial Manager at Skanska Infrastructure Development AB from...

Jun 11, 202156 minEp. 4

Pierre Lindh #58 - Dima Reiderman, COO, BtoBet (Emerging markets analysis)

Dima Reiderman joined BtoBet’s ranks from parent company, Aspire Global, where he served as Chief Operations Officer for over two years. Throughout his career he garnered wide experience in strategic leadership and a strong industry knowledge, playing an integral role in the growth and success of Aspire Global throughout his seven-year tenure. He is highly appreciated for his vision and energy, placing the end-customer at the core of operations.

Jun 10, 202154 min

Karolina Pelc #6 - Britt Boeskov, Chief Experience Officer, Kindred Group (KX - The Kindred Experience)

Britt is the Chief Experience Officer of Kindred Group (formerly Unibet Group). She joined the Group as Management Trainee in 2005, and entered the Exec team in 2009, where she had held various roles including Head of Marcom Services, COO and Chief Programme Officer. Britt holds a Master's degree in Intercultural Communications and Management from Copenhagen Business School. She’s a non-executive director on the Board of Racecourse Media Group, and a mentor in the Rebus Women in Tech programme....

May 31, 202142 minEp. 6

Pierre Lindh #57 - Daniel Lindberg, CEO & Founder, QuickSpin (Entrepreneurship & leadership)

Daniel Lindberg founded QuickSpin in 2011 together with Mats Westerlund (NetEnt) and Joachim Timmermans (Kindred). Before QuickSpin he worked in top positions in a variety of fields with NetEnt – such as Sales & Marketing Director as well as Head of Product Management. Daniel started his career in iGaming back in 2006 and signed many of NetEnt's customers back in the days and produced the classic Gonzo’s Quest. In 2016 they sold QuickSpin to Playtech and two years after that both Mats and Jo...

May 27, 20211 hr 29 minEp. 57

Pierre Lindh #56 - Ragnar Toompere, Director, OneTouch (Past, present & future of mobile gaming)

With more than a decade and a half of experience in the iGaming industry, Ragnar Toompere is now Managing Director of the mobile-first casino content developer, OneTouch. His experience includes hugely successful stints at such well-known companies as Playtech and Microgaming, and since taking the helm at OneTouch he has guided the company to a series of impressive achievements and milestones.

May 26, 202136 minEp. 56

Karolina Pelc #5 - Richard Carter, Group CEO, Bragg Gaming Group (The man with the Bragging rights)

Richard Carter is a Group Chief Executive Officer of Bragg Gaming Group, an innovative B2B online gaming solution provider and the company behind Oryx Gaming. Prior to recent appointment, Richard has served as Bragg’s Non-Executive Chair, advising and providing support to the Bragg team on developing a global strategy focused on partnerships, the continued growth of their organic business, and consideration of all accretive M&A opportunities. Richard, formerly the CEO of interactive sports b...

May 20, 202149 min

Heidi Lofthus #3 - Alexia Frendo, Kindred Group, HR Lead Malta, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy & Austria (Diversity and Training - our story)

Alexia Frendo is an organizational psychologist who has worked in the HR sphere both in Malta and abroad for the past seventeen years. She graduated in psychology from the University of Malta in 2002. In 2005 Alexia completed an academic and practical Masters programme in Work and Organizational Psychology at the University of Rome, La Sapienza. Currently, Alexia is a Lead HR Business Partner within the Kindred Group. She is an accomplished HR professional who works with an international HR Team...

May 13, 202143 minEp. 3

Pierre Lindh #55 - Alexandre Tomic, Founder and CEO, Alea (Gambling philosophy, blockchain, purpose)

Alexandre Tomic is co-founder of ALEA , the multi-award-winning creator of innovative gaming experiences. Tomic is well-known within our industry, having over ten years of experience in varying aspects ranging from affiliate network owner to casino operator. He and his partner at ALEA, Charles Gross, are familiar friendly faces at many conferences and shows. Their passion for the industry is matched by their drive for innovative products and ideas. Alexandre himself is a Biohacking and VR enthus...

May 12, 20211 hr 46 minEp. 54

Karolina Pelc #4 - Shelly Suter-Hadad, CEO, Casumo

Shelly Suter-Hadad has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Casumo since October of 2019 and has overseen the expansion of the company from a single brand to a global gaming group. Previously, Ms. Suter-Hadad served as the Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director as well as Director of Business Development and Head of Marketing Operations during her eleven-year tenure at Mansion Group, between 2008 and 2019. Prior to gaming, she held leadership roles within the telecom, VoIP and satelli...

May 05, 202132 min

Pierre Lindh #54 - Stefan Kovach, Managing Director, ThinkChangers (The bull case for Blockchain/NFT/Crypto)

Stefan is an internet and blockchain veteran. He has worked for internet startups since the late 90s including 15 years in gaming. For the last 3 years, he has been CEO of FunFair Technologies, a decentralised application built on the Ethereum blockchain. He now runs ThinkChangers which specialises in digital and blockchain business consultancy with a particular focus on the NFT, fintech, blockchain, gaming and gambling sectors.

Apr 30, 20211 hr 24 minEp. 54

Heidi Lofthus #2 - Kelly Kehn, Co-Founder, All-in Diversity Project (Women in the workplace and the myths we still believe)

An MBA graduate of NYU’s Stern School of Business, Kelly Kehn has been in iGaming senior management since 2012. She’s led teams and brands through regulatory changes, migrations and rebrands as well as held leadership roles in marketing, operations, management and sales in the US, Canada and the UK. She has extensive experience in digital marketing and management, business and product development, commercial strategy, loyalty and eCommerce strategy. Kelly is deeply passionate about the Betting a...

Apr 29, 202156 minEp. 2

Pierre Lindh #53 - Neal Garman, CTO, iSoftBet (Thinking seven years ahead)

Neal Garman was appointed CTO of iSoftBet in June 2020. Neal has transformation and growth experience within Technology businesses, involved in two IPOs. He previously led technology functions in MoneySuperMarket, FinTech [CashPlus], Metropolitan Police, DEFRA, and Helios Towers. Neal is passionate about delivering scalable, ‘next generation’, data-driven technology, where throughput and resilience are critical. A focus on understanding a business's core purpose, growing its people, and creating...

Apr 27, 20211 hr 14 minEp. 53

Pierre Lindh #52 - Pini Yakuel, Founder & CEO, Optimove (CRM Marketing Revolution)

Pini co-founded Optimove, the iGaming industry standard for CRM Marketing, in 2009 and has led the company as its CEO since its inception. Throughout the years, Pini has collaborated with hundreds of iGaming operators, platforms, and consultants to shape the industry’s CRM practices, navigate its challenges, and build a product tailored for it. With two decades of experience in analytics-driven CRM Marketing, business consulting, and sales in the iGaming space, Pini is the driving force behind O...

Apr 26, 202155 minEp. 52

Pierre Lindh #50 - Disa Stigh, Co-Founder, Casino By Her (Addiction, imposter syndrome, equality, young leadership)

My name is Disa Stigh and I'm one of those Millennials who believe I can change iGaming. The iGaming career really took off after I won iGaming Idol as ''Live Dealer of the year'' a few years ago. After I spent hundreds of hours in the Live studio at Evolution Gaming in Malta, I decided I needed to accelerate and grasp the knowledge of our iGaming industry from all verticals. By taking a big step from being a Live Dealer to Affiliate Manager, I had big shoes to fill and a new world to comprehend...

Apr 13, 20211 hr 21 minEp. 50

Pierre Lindh #51 - Julian Buhagiar (Evolution acquisition of Big Time Gaming - Hit or miss?)

✌️Pierre’s iGaming NEXT Podcast main sponsor is Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology. For more info, click here: https://bit.ly/3lSy1B5. This podcast is also sponsored by Kalamba & Bitcasino 🧐Julian is co-founder of RB Capital. He is an investor & board director to multiple ventures in the gaming, fintech & music industries. He has managed investments, M&As and exits to date in excess of $500m.

Apr 12, 202132 minSeason 1Ep. 51

Karolina Pelc #3 - Gustaf Hagman, Group CEO, Leo Vegas Group & Robin Ramm - Ericson, Ex CXO and Chairman of the Board, Leo Vegas Group

Gustaf Hagman Birth: 1974 Title: Group CEO and Co-founder Special areas of expertise: Gaming industry, organisation, entrepreneur Education: Economics studies at Stockholm University and Södertörn University. Gustaf has over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and the online gaming industry and has previously built organizations to over 100 employees. Before he co-founded LeoVegas, Gustaf was CEO of the listed company Net Gaming AB (publ.). He also founded and was CEO of Eurobet Nordic ...

Apr 06, 20211 hr 6 minEp. 3

Pierre Lindh #49 Daniel Graetzer, Carousel Group, Founder & CEO (The emerging US online gambling market)

Daniel Graetzer is the Founder and CEO of Carousel Group, the owner and operator of SportsBetting.com , a US and European regulated online sportsbook and casino. With over 20 years of experience in digital, Graetzer created Carousel Group in 2017 after previously serving as director at leading Spanish provider Mediatech Solutions (acquired by R. Franco Group in 2017). Carousel Group is operational in Colorado and recently signed a market access deal for New Jersey, Indiana, and Iowa....

Apr 05, 20211 hr 15 minSeason 1Ep. 49

Pierre Lindh #48 - Nico Jansen, CEO & Founder, Bet IT Best (The iGaming industry in 3 years)

After his studies in Frankfurt and at Stanford University, Nico joined the IT department of Investment Banking of Commerzbank in Frankfurt and London. Being familiar with the demand for Real Time data in the finance industry and having a passion for Sports and Sports Betting, Nico left Commerzbank in 2012 to start Bet IT Best as a State of the Art and One Stop Shop for the Sports Betting industry. In 2015 Bet IT Best received a seat at the Web Summit Alpha program for one of the most promising o...

Mar 26, 20211 hr 12 minEp. 48

Heidi Lofthus #1 - Ken Weary, VP, Operations, Hotjar (Remote working, All or Nothing)

Ken is the VP of Operations for Hotjar, a Malta-based start-up with over 150 remote team members currently distributed across 32 countries. Ken oversees People Operations, Finance, and Compliance at Hotjar. He is also a digital nomad and has been travelling the globe with his family for almost 7 years. Prior to his travels, Ken held leadership positions in traditional corporate environments where he gained great experience but was tied to his desk. He relishes and advocates for life “outside the...

Mar 25, 202154 minEp. 1

Pierre Lindh #47 Part 2 - James King, Director of sales, GIG (media, marketing and events)

At GiG James is responsible for providing leadership and management on the delivery of sales objectives around the globe (managing both the sales and marketing teams). James has over 11 years’ experience in sales from the front line through to Group Sales Director (Clarion Gaming) leading all aspects of sales excellence driving revenue growth initiatives globally. He has successfully led and managed sales teams of varying report sizes across a mixture of businesses ranging from events through to...

Mar 19, 20211 hr 18 minSeason 2Ep. 47

Pierre Lindh #47 Part 1 - James King, Director of sales, GIG (regulation, generating leads without events, the importance of ESG, and how to eliminate stigmatisation of the industry)

At GiG James is responsible for providing leadership and management on the delivery of sales objectives around the globe (managing both the sales and marketing teams). James has over 11 years’ experience in sales from the front line through to Group Sales Director (Clarion Gaming) leading all aspects of sales excellence driving revenue growth initiatives globally. He has successfully led and managed sales teams of varying report sizes across a mixture of businesses ranging from events through to...

Mar 18, 20211 hr 5 minSeason 1Ep. 47
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android