Favourite…
PROFILE WHO’S WHO:
How did you first get involved with the gaming industry? My first full time job after graduating from University was in the Gambling sector back in 2002. The organisation that I originally worked for had a broad variety of gaming products including sports and financial spread betting and casino. From the outset I got great exposure and experience from a young age across various parts of the industry.
What attracted you to this sector? I didn’t intentionally gravitate towards this sector. I graduated with a Computer Science degree from University College Dublin with high hopes of becoming a Software Engineer. At that time, there wasn’t much demand in Dublin for graduate developers. I applied for multiple jobs and an entry level position came up in a gaming company. It surprised me at the time how much I enjoyed it as I didn’t have any prior knowledge of the industry. However, I found that the work naturally suited my skillset as I had majored in Mathematics and Computer Science. Having been in the industry now for more than 16 years, I’ve well and truly got the gaming bug. It’s a fascinating an exciting fast paced industry to be in.
Jane Ryan
This month: Nektan PLC’s Chief Operating Officer, B2B
What were you doing prior to the gaming industry? Before my first full time job which was in the gaming industry, I was doing what every student does, working in a variety of jobs to pay for the bills and nights out. I enjoyed a great social life and an abundance of friends.
What are you responsible for in your current position? I’m responsible for the entire Nektan B2B business, predominantly in Europe and Asia. With the support of our CEO and board, I implement our strategy and lead it to fruition. I manage B2B: business developments; operations; compliance; product delivery; supplier and client relationships.
What have been the biggest industry changes you’ve seen in your time? The industry has changed dramatically in the time I’ve worked in it. The significant changes include:
Mobile – the emergence of smartphone
technology has changed everything. While internet betting was around, in 2002 nobody gambled on a mobile phone and certainly not a smartphone. Punters were more likely to be checking the odds on Teletext and placing their bet by calling their local Bookmaker via a landline! Public perception – the journey that our industry has taken since I started is profound. When I started out in gaming, admitting to
Movie: The Snapper & The Commitments
working in this industry was slightly taboo. Nowadays, the public perception of gaming has changed. It’s a modern e-commerce industry with technology at it’s core and a far cry from the seedy and smokey retail betting shop environment world that I grew up with. Regulation – a key force and at the forefront
of everything we do in the industry nowadays is regulation. It impacts almost every aspect of the business. The regulatory landscape on a global scale has changed a great deal and can be difficult to navigate within. It presents challenges that we didn’t have to consider when I first started out. Looking at your entire career, what do you think was your smartest move? Two moves: getting a university education and moving to Gibraltar to work for Netkan.
And dumbest one? Lots of dumb ones – not taking opportunities that are in front of me because of lack of maturity, confidence or because I felt outside of my comfort zone. Fortunately over time, my confidence and experience has grown and I face those type of challenges head on now.
Where do you hope you’ll be, professionally, in ten years’ time? No idea but I hope it will still be as much fun as it is now. If you’d never embarked on this career, what other lines of work would you have liked to pursue? Singer or nutritionist. I would have made a
better nutritionist as I have a dreadful singing voice!
Band: Queen
Book: The Famous Five books
Olives Pizza topping
Clothing: Pyjamas
OCTOBER 2018 69
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