What does a Chief Innovation Officer do? And, what does “Leading through Innovation” mean to you?
I serve as Executive Vice President, Global
Products and Chief Innovation Officer of WMS Industries Inc. I lead the global product strategy, with responsibility for Game Development, Engineering and Advanced R&D activities. To me, “leading through innovation” means leadership and strategic vision. My goal is to build and reinforce the WMS reputation as a foremost innovator of game content and gaming products. My approach in product development has led to the creation of entirely new categories of game play that are revolutionizing the global gaming industry. Leading through innovation has helped WMS transform slot machine play from a passive experience to one that players find interactive and engaging.
What is your style of management? It’s all about developing a culture where everyone is adding value to the products and services we provide. My job focuses around ensuring we have the right long-term vision and execution strategy while at the same time empowering our talented teams of developers to own and mature the products throughout the development cycle. I believe in setting clear goals and then managing our business to those metrics.
How do you and your associates determine which ideas or concepts for a new game will work? We bring groundbreaking new products and platforms to market by executing our strategic product roadmap. But, like everything, our vision starts with understanding customer and player needs. Our experienced Development Team is tasked with making tomorrow’s solutions available today. We incorporate extensive, proven market research methods throughout product development to ensure the games we create are those that players ‘have to play.’” From ideation, to prototype, to deployment on the casino floor, WMS invests valuable resources in employing the most rigorous research processes possible, providing games on which our valued customers can depend. Before any game leaves product development, it goes through a round of testing to make sure it strikes a strong balance between helping customers maximize their current slot performance today,
and creates new revenue streams in the years ahead.
What is WMS doing with wireless or internet gaming? Internet gaming offers operators a unique opportunity to create a more expansive relationship with their players, and enhance the gaming experience, away from the four walls of the casino. The availability of wireless and online casual games and content through web services provides new entertainment options for players to keep them connected to their favorite casinos while on the go. Through a set of casino-controlled widgets and web applications, such as Player’s Life Web Services, that extend the proven performance of WMS Adaptive Gaming platform and provides casino operators with greater player insight, and gives them the ability to deliver personalized messages and incentives to their players. Wireless and Internet gaming will enhance player loyalty to the casino by expanding player touch points through connected experiences, thereby boosting brand awareness of and familiarity with, their favorite games and casinos.
Likewise if the US congress legalized on line gaming, does WMS have any systems ready to go to casinos and other operators? We are a licensed online gaming company operating in the UK, the longest-running and most regulated and mature gaming market in the world. Over the past several years, we have developed a strong technology foundation and e-commerce engine that is coupled with our unique and innovative gaming content. We’re able to fully support a wide range of capabilities in an extensive B-to-B partnering relationship or direct in a B-to-C market.
Has a casino ever asked WMS to develop a specific type of slot machine or system? We are constantly developing new products or solutions that address our customer’s business requirements. It is key component of what makes WMS a trusted partner for our customers and our number one priority is to address customer needs for today. We actively listen to our operators to understand the current challenges, identify new insights and we are dedicated to working side-by- side with them to develop customized solutions that maximize the success of the WMS products
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