Five minutes with...David Nilsson from Betsson Group

Q. What do you enjoy most about your job?

The fact that no day is ever the same. I feel that as affiliate managers, we are always changing according to what our affiliate partners need – so you’re faced with opportunities, challenges and a few curveballs along the way.

Q. If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring affiliate manager, what would it be?

Do your research, know your markets, your brands and build strong relationships with your affiliates. This will help you a lot to get the best out of the partnerships both ways. And work in a company that truly supports its affiliate partners. It is not a coincidence that Betsson Group Affiliates has won several awards in this area, including the latest affiliate programme of the year at the 2020 EGR Operator Awards.

Q. Who would play you in the movie about your life?

That is not an easy question, but it would have to be the famous Swedish actor, Joel Kinnaman.

Q. What’s your karaoke song of choice?

Ha ha! I usually only sing in the shower to spare people around me from my singing, and the song I usually belt out is “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi.

Q. Which one thing can’t you live without?

My fiancé Mary, she is my rock and my best friend, and I can’t imagine my life without her. She gives me strength and support when I need it and also pushes me to constantly grow as a person.

Q. Who would you most like to be stuck in an elevator with?

If it can be any person from any time then it would be interesting to meet any great profile from history like Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar or Sun Tzu.  If it’s more current then Stephen Hawking, just imagine picking his brain for an hour or two.

Q. Where would you time travel to and why?

If I could go anywhere in time, I would jump 100 years into the future to see how we have faired as humans – are we living in space, have we destroyed our planet or have we thrived as a species?

Q. What is your favourite TV programme?

All-time best TV shows for me are The Sopranos, Vikings, Sons of Anarchy and Ray Donovan. It’s hard to choose one as there are quite a few good ones, especially nowadays with all the streaming platforms.

Q. What is your biggest guilty pleasure?

I must admit that a guilty pleasure of mine is to just take a whole day off and spend it playing video games, really immerse yourself in a different world. Best game so far is Horizon, so I am eagerly waiting for the new one to come out.

Q. If you won the lottery, what would you spend the money on?

I would buy my own private island somewhere in Asia, to have as a haven to really decompress a couple of weeks a year.

Q. Name one place everyone should visit before they die

When I was in my 30s, I did the whole soul-searching thing. I know it was a bit late but that is when it happened for me. I felt like I just needed a break, so I quit my job, sold everything I owned, gave notice on my apartment, and packed my life into two suitcases. I bought an open-ended ticket for Thailand and just went to the airport. I landed in Bangkok all alone and only had a travel guidebook. To make a long story short, I found myself in some amazing experiences like hiking through the jungle, showering in waterfalls, diving with sharks, living in bamboo huts in the middle of nowhere with amazing surroundings and so much more. So my suggestion is that wherever you go to, get off the beaten path to see the real country and it will give you so much in return.

Naming just one place where everyone should go is impossible. My tip is to not overthink things – forget the buts and the whats and the ifs and just take that trip you always dreamed of and dare to leave some things to uncertainty and just explore and see where that takes you.

David Nilsson has worked in multiple industries leading gaming companies over the past 12 years and has been in gaming as an affiliate manager since 2009. It has taken him to many amazing places to call home, including London, Barcelona, Cyprus, Malta and Gibraltar. Today he is a key affiliate manager based in Malta with Betsson Group. His vast experience and skill in areas such as affiliation, operators and networks he gladly shares with the people around him.