Srinivasan promoted to president and COO of Bally

Gavin Isaacs, who for five years has been executive vice president and chief operating officer of slot and system manufacturer Bally Technologies, has been named as the new chief executive officer of table-game supplier Shuffle Master, Inc., effective April 1.

Replacing him at Bally will be Ramesh Srinivasan, who has headed that manufacturer’s systems division the past five years. He will become president and chief operating officer of Bally Technologies.

Isaacs, whose appointment is subject to regulatory approvals, will also join the Shuffle Master board of directors.

Isaacs has been a slot manufacturing executive for 12 years. Prior to Bally, he was head of global marketing and business development for Australia’s Aristocrat Leisure Limited, as well as managing director of Aristocrat’s European subsidiary and president of Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. in Las Vegas. The announcement was somewhat surprising since Isaacs was the heir-apparent to current Bally CEO Dick Haddrill.

“After an extensive search in which we considered many talented and qualified CEO candidates, Gavin met all of our key criteria to lead Shuffle Master’s next chapter of growth and strategic initiatives,” said Garry Saunders, chairman of the board for Shuffle Master. “His extensive and proven leadership in the international gaming technology and equipment space makes him an excellent leader for our skilled team of industry professionals. We believe that Gavin will be able to drive both innovation and efficient execution of our strategies in order to deliver increased value to our shareholders.”

Shuffle Master Chief Operating Officer David Lopez added, “After spending considerable time with Gavin, I am pleased that the board has selected a candidate with Gavin’s level of experience and leadership. I look forward to working closely with him to enhance Shuffle Master’s position in the global marketplace and to expand our opportunities for sustained growth.”

“I am delighted to join Shuffle Master at such an exciting time both for the company and for the global gaming industry,” said Isaacs. “Shuffle Master is a great company steeped with accomplishment, highly innovative products, talented employees, and a growing worldwide customer base. There are extraordinary opportunities ahead for Shuffle Master and I look forward to working with the entire team as we position the company for future long-term growth and profitability.”

Srinivasan Assumes New Role

Meanwhile, Srinivasan, who has been executive vice president in charge of systems at Bally Technologies since 2005, will both replace Isaacs as COO and assume the additional title of president, currently held by CEO Haddrill.

In his new role, Srinivasan will be responsible for all of Bally’s worldwide games, systems and server-based solutions, as well as customer service, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Richard Haddrill.

Under Srinivasan, Bally Systems has become the market leader in the gaming systems space. Haddrill brought him to Bally from Manhattan Associates, the software firm that was his own former company.

Replacing Srinivasan at the head of the systems division will be Bryan Kellly, who has headed the company’s Innovation Lab—the division responsible for adapting new applications in the general IT space for gaming use. Kelly has been promoted to senior vice president of technology, also reporting to Haddrill.

“Ramesh Srinivasan has been a terrific business partner for more than 11 years across two companies, and I am confident that his outstanding track record of success will continue in these new responsibilities,” said Haddrill. “Gavin Isaacs has been an important part of our success at Bally, and we wish him well at Shuffle Master.”

In other executive moves, Bally promoted Derik Mooberry to senior vice president of products and operations, reporting to Srinivasan. Robert Parente, who joined Bally in 2009, has been promoted to vice president and managing director of Canada to lead all of Bally’s activities in that market.

Additionally, John Connelly, the company’s former vice president of international, will rejoin Bally as vice president of business development, with responsibility for new markets, partnerships, and acquisition activities, reporting to Haddrill.

Bally also announced the appointments of Josephine Linden and W. Andrew McKenna to its board of directors.

Linden is an adjunct professor in the Finance Department of Columbia Business School, and also currently serves as the treasurer and a trustee for the Collegiate School and as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Linden also serves as the financial advisor for HRH, the Prince of Wales Foundation, and is a member of the Advance Australia Global Advisory Board. She recently retired from Goldman Sachs as a partner and managing director after being with the firm for more than 25 years.

McKenna currently serves as a member of the board of directors and Audit Committee chair of AutoZone, Inc. as well as chairman of the supervisory board of Georgia BioMass, LLC. He previously served as lead director and Audit Committee chair for Danka, Inc. and as president and board member SciQuest.com Inc. Prior to that, McKenna held various executive positions with The Home Depot Inc.

By Staff