Australian slot manufacturer Aristocrat Leisure Ltd. has named Patrick Ramsey, former CEO of Austin, Texas-based Multimedia Games, as the company’s new chief digital officer. The appointment is effective January 1, 2016, pending expiration of a non-compete agreement.
Ramsey was CEO of Multimedia Games for five years, during which time he led a turnaround that increased the value of the slot-maker and expanded its market from Class II to Class III jurisdictions. He left after last December’s acquisition of the Texas-based company by Las Vegas-based Global Cash Access.
Ramsey succeeds Craig Billings, who has resigned from Aristocrat Leisure to pursue other opportunities. Billings will leave at the end of September, according to the company.
Trevor Croker, Aristocrat’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand, will be leading the digital business from late August up to the time of Ramsey’s arrival.
“I am delighted to welcome Pat Ramsey to Aristocrat,” said CEO and Managing Director Jamie Odell. “Pat is a proven leader with deep operational and strategic experience in the gaming industry, and a track record of achievement.
“As CEO of Multimedia Games, Pat led a successful turnaround that created significant value for shareholders, after holding a range of senior roles at Caesars Entertainment. Pat’s experience in growing both B2B and consumer-facing gaming businesses make him ideally suited to lead our digital business to its full potential.
“I also want to thank Craig Billings for his tremendous contribution to Aristocrat, particularly his roles in key strategic initiatives including the acquisitions of both Product Madness and VGT,” Odell added.
In October, Aristocrat completed the acquisition of U.S.-based gaming machine manufacturer Video Gaming Technologies Inc. (VGT), in a deal worth US$1.28 billion.
