RealNetworks hires former Aristocrat CEO Atul Bali
Bali to join RealNetworks as president of gaming division this month after two-year stint at Aristocrat Technologies
Former Aristocrat Technologies president and CEO Atul Bali is set to join RealNetworks as president of the company’s games division, eGaming Review can reveal.
Bali will take up his new role this month and will oversee Real’s entire portfolio of games including the recently acquired Slingo brand and the GameHouse and Zylom game distribution platforms.
He joins Real from Aristocrat Technologies, the US subsidiary of Australian gaming supplier Aristocrat Leisure, where he held the role of president and CEO for nearly two years.
“I was looking more at independent CEO roles but I really liked [Real’s chairman] Rob [Glaser], the board members, Rob’s team and the company’s location in Seattle,” Bali told eGR.
“RealNetworks has a very good combination of accomplished entrepreneurs as well as a solid corporation with a great history,” he added.
In February Aristocrat announced the departure of Bali, who officially left the company on 31 March, and was replaced by chief product officer Rich Schneider on an interim basis.
Prior to joining Aristocrat, Bali worked for 13 years at GTECH including a two-year tenure as president and CEO of its online gaming and sports betting division GTECH G2.
Bali joins Real following its acquisition of social gaming company Slingo for $15.6m last year and is expected to launch its first Slingo titles in the coming months.
“We are delighted to have Atul join Real and lead our games business into the future,” Rob Glaser, chairman and interim CEO of RealNetworks, said.
“Atul is a widely respected leader in the lottery, casino and digital gaming spaces with deep expertise, strong relationships, proven leadership skills, and a passion for games.
“He is precisely the right person to lead the reinvention of our games business,” Glaser added.