Hector, you became CEO of Aristocrat Gaming this year – what’s been your gaming journey?


Having spent most of my career in finance working for Fortune 200 U.S. companies, my journey to Aristocrat Gaming started in 2018 as the Chief Financial Officer. Te opportunity to take on additional responsibility as the President of America’s and EMEA presented itself a year later, and then I was fortunate to step into the role of CEO in March 2022. Joining the gaming industry has been a career highlight.


What’s been the toughest part of the role thus far?


It’s been an exciting four years throughout my various roles at Aristocrat Gaming, getting to know the team and diving into the business performance. As the prior Gaming CFO, the numbers were familiar and the focus on maximising shareholder value, return on invested capital, and how that connects to the broader global market was of high interest.


A key opportunity has been focusing on our people. By engaging with them in a personal and authentic way, listening to them, and bringing them along in the decision-making process, we’ve empowered them to make the best decisions on behalf of the business.


During every pivotal point of any career journey, there are opportunities to stretch yourself in ways you didn’t know was possible. You can find yourself feeling uncomfortable in those hard moments because of that growth but ultimately, through that growth comes new skills and a better version of yourself in the process.


Embracing the concept of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and knowing that everything didn’t need to be perfect 100 per cent of the time was and continues to be important. In realising this, it was important to show up as my authentic self. Tat authenticity creates connection with our team in ways I never thought was possible, creating a culture that’s energized and empowered by the collective brilliance of our team.


It's important to show that authentic self throughout your journey. Coming to the U.S. as a very young child from Guatemala presented unique pressures. English is my second language, and sometimes I still catch myself occasionally mispronouncing a word or pausing to find the right English word when my brain automatically goes to Spanish. But it’s in those moments, that it’s great to let other people see the real me. Just a kid who came up the ranks through hard work to now become the CEO of Aristocrat Gaming. If I can do this, anyone can.


Speaking about being human, how is Aristocrat embracing diversity, equity and inclusion within its workforce?


We are at the beginning of a focused journey diversity, equity and inclusion as an organisation. Every industry has work to do, and gaming is not different.


Currently, 60 per cent of the gaming leadership


“Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a competitive advantage, and having different perspectives and


backgrounds in teams creates an exciting outcome for the


organisation. The key is to lead by inspiring individuals and


teams to translate the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion into action at all levels.” Hector Fernandez


Hector Fernandez Chief Executive Officer, Aristocrat Gaming


team is female, and we are proud of that, but more progress is still needed. Leadership and role modelling behaviour is important, and it does take personal effort and accountability. One recent example is working outside your traditional network to identify diverse talent. About a year ago we were at a Hispanic Heritage Month townhall and I met Oriana Branon as a fellow panelist. When the position of Vice President of Communications and Corporate Affairs opened on our team, Oriana was top-of-mind, and she’s now been with us for five months.


Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a competitive advantage, and having different perspectives and backgrounds in teams creates an exciting outcome for the organisation. Te key is to lead by inspiring individuals and teams to translate the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion into action at all levels.


How does that change the organisation?


Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between companies that prioritise diversity inclusion and have positive bottom- line impact. Yes, companies do this because it’s the right thing to do but also importantly, because it creates a strategic business advantage.


I worked at Procter and Gamble straight out of business school where 90 per cent of their consumers – the decision-makers - are females. Slot players are a diverse group. If the developer of slots isn’t diverse, you’re only making one kind of slot, for one kind of person. If you walk the Aristocrat booth at G2E, there is tremendous diversity of product. Some of our top games are being developed by our two new studios, which are both female-run studios.


What are the top games in your view at the show this year?


“We love all our games – but one of our highest-performing is Lightning Buffalo Link, made by HRG Studios in Sydney. Scott Olive and the


team invented Lightning Link, and Lightning Buffalo Link is a continuation of that family of games. It is an amazing game – and within that family of slots games, we also have new game called Chica Bonita, which translates in Spanish to Pretty Lady in Spanish.” Hector Fernandez


We love all our games – but one of our highest- performing is Lightning Buffalo Link, made by HRG Studios in Sydney. Scott Olive and the team invented Lightning Link, and Lightning Buffalo Link is a continuation of that family of games. It is an amazing game – and within that family of slots games, we also have new game called Chica Bonita, which translates in Spanish to Pretty Lady in Spanish.


In addition, Jackpot Carnival is expected to be a fan favourite at this year’s show. Jackpot Carnival is a brand we’re bringing back, adding the latest mechanics to an established brand. Finally, we have the prototype products we are developing for the NFL. We are scheduled to launch NFL slots in the Fall of 2023, coinciding with the new NFL season.


Tere has been mixed success for sporting brands on the casino floor. How is Aristocrat tackling this?


Our challenge was to build a game that allows you to play with the team of your choice. Players can pick the Bengals, or the Patriots, Raiders etc., which took a lot of technological innovation. We are still working on the prototypes shown on the floor here at G2E and we are excited to bring these games to the very large NFL fanbase.


WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS P61


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