DAVID HEAP Former CEO TCSJohnHuxley Gaming Industry Advisor
I spent close to 16 years working alongside Jens to deliver the very best products and services for the casino industry. Across all the time I worked with Jens he was both a much trusted business partner and loyal friend. He showed himself to be a man to be completely trusted and of resolute integrity. Jens worked tirelessly to deliver business and product solutions that exceeded customer expectations and set new benchmarks in product and game performance. Behind the scenes Jens continually sought to advance the business interests and opportunities of the gaming industry as a whole. His ‘way too early’ and sudden passing are of course sad and tragic for his family and many friends and it is also a major loss for the industry.
KAREN COOKE Owner, Swan Events
I first became acquainted with Jens when I was 21 years old, he being a wise 27. We met each other on many occasions, mainly in the casinos we frequented whilst travelling across Europe or one of the numerous trade shows that took place in those day, always however in the Bar.
It was tough working in the industry as a young female back in Eighties. I was working with IGT, Jens Bally. Jens would always ensure I was ok, we discussed business, he gave me advice and even though we were competitors in business he always had words of encouragement. I know I’m not alone in this education. Although our careers took different paths over the years, Jens and I remained good friends and his words of encouragement never ceased.
Legacy is an overused word these days, but with Jens it is true. He has left behind a very real legacy which will affect us all for a very long time to come.
SEBASTIAN SALAT President, International WMS Gaming
The first European gaming shows in London, Monte Carlo and Nice. The foundation of EGO. The opening of the Turkish market and its sudden closure. The casino boom in Russia and the Ukraine. After thirty years in the Gaming Industry I have so many memories, and Jens has been part of a lot of them! Jens was a charismatic businessman, a loyal competitor, a thought leader and a friend. I was not able to meet him in his ICE booth this year because he was always surrounded by customers and friends. Better said: he was surrounded by customers who were also friends. Without a doubt Jens knew how to gain people’s affection and trust… The memory of him will always stay with me.
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On a personal level, every one of us who know Jens and worked alongside him whether things were going well or badly will remember him with great affection. When all said and done however much you like your work, it’s the people that you meet in it that really matter and colleagues like Jens are something very special.
You don’t come across many of them and when you do they leave a lasting impression.
Jens Halle, you will be sorely missed.
JOHN CONNELLY Global CEO Interblock
It is hard to think of the global gaming industry, without thinking of Jens - he was part of the foundation! He managed to make unique friendships with so many people around the world and make everyone feel special. I had the opportunity to spend time with Jens at more Shows than I think he or I would care to remember. Although we spent our careers working for different companies, while often times competing against each other - he was always a gentleman. He showed many of us learning our way through the industry that there was a way to do business with class.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family - he will always be missed!
JAMES BOJE Managing Director – EMEA, Aristocrat Technologies
I have many fond memories of Jens over our long history in the gaming industry, but my first real encounter with him was as an adversary. Jens was the Managing Director of AGI-Novomatic at the time I was leading IGT-Europe, and we were both on the steering group which debated the future of the European gaming trade show. His strong character, charisma and genuine affection for the world of gaming were infectious, and he played a key role in ensuring that the European gaming industry retained its independence and identity on the world stage. The importance and growth of the annual ICE trade show owes much of its magnitude to Jens, and will remain just one of his many lasting legacies.
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