Austrian gaming technology provider Novomatic AG has appointed Johannes Gratzl as its new chief financial officer. Gratzl, who formerly served as the company’s head of group treasury, replaces Peter Stein, who has left the firm “by mutual consent,” according to a September 5 announcement by Novomatic.
The supplier made several changes to the firm’s executive and supervisory boards as well. Thomas Graf, previously chief technology officer and CEO of Novomatic subsidiary the Greentube Group, “will assume responsibility for the promising online gaming market,” according to the announcement.
Bartholomäus Czapkiewicz, previously Novomatic’s chief systems officer, will no longer serve on the firm’s executive board but will “continue to be responsible for this area as an authorized signatory.”
Christian Widhalm, Novomatic’s chief investment officer, has resigned from his position on the executive board “for health reasons and will continue to be available to the company in an advisory capacity,” the group stated.
In other changes, the number of members on Novomatic’s supervisory board was reduced from five to three. The remaining members are Bernd Oswald, chairman; Martina Flitsch, deputy chairwoman; and Robert Hofians. The two members leaving the board were Martina Kurz and Barbara Feldmann.
Novomatic said it has been pursuing “a phase of consolidation and optimization” for its corporate structures since last year, following “years of rapid and successful expansion.”
Harald Neumann, Novomatic CEO and executive board chairman, said the company “will continue along its chosen path and further optimize internal structures in Austria and the international group companies across national borders.”
Novomatic’s profit for the first half of 2019 fell by 68.8 percent year-on-year to €34.3 million (US$37.7 million). EBITDA) fell by 5.1 percent to €297.1 million in the period, after reaching a record high of EUR313.0 million during the same period a year earlier.
