People news 12/04/2012
A round up of people news from the last week (6 April to 12 April 2012).
Zynga poaches sales VP from rival social operator
Julie Shumaker becomes VP of North American ad sales.
Zynga has hired a vice president of North American advertising sales, poaching the executive from rival social gaming operator RockYou.
Julie Shumaker spent just over a year with RockYou before moving, and will report to the company’s chief marketing and revenue officer Jeff Karp. Tech Crunch reports that Shumaker will take over some of Manny Anekal’s responsibilities, after the former global director of brand advertising left to join advertising startup Kiip in February this year.
Prior to joining RockYou, Shumaker had amassed more than a decade of experience in a variety of sales roles, including positions as senior director of video game advertising for Electronic Arts, and senior vice president of sales and marketing for mobile advertising company 4INFO.
Seven days in people moves:
Gaming Edge hires senior associates
Two highly experienced senior associates have joined specialist gaming consultancy Gaming Edge Associates.
Kathryn Loewen, who previously worked for US-facing and former US-facing poker networks Merge Gaming and Cereus respectively, and Rob Gallo, a former CEO with 15 years’ experience in operating and marketing online gambling companies have both joined the independent organisation.
Both senior associates will work with Gaming Edge as the consultancy looks to expand into the US and “continues striving to deliver the highest quality service”, according to a statement by the company this morning.
888 signs up MMA champion
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) champion Georges St-Pierre, twice winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight title, has signed up with 888 as a brand ambassador for the Gibraltar-licensed operator.
Known as GSP, St-Pierre will represent 888 in a number of live events including the World Series of Poker and the operator’s own Deepstack poker series.
Tatts CEO to retire at the end of the year
Dick McIlwain will retire from his role as managing director and CEO of Australian operator Tatts Group at the end of this year, the company has announced.
McIlwain joined the company in October 2006. He previously served as chief executive of UNiTAB which merged with Tatts “ then Tattersall’s Ltd “ the same year, after joining in 1989, and was appointed to the board of directors in 1999.
Severino Salvemini, independent director and chairman of Lottomatica‘s internal audit and compliance committee, has resigned from his roles, the company has announced.