Diversified gaming supplier Scientific Games announced the appointment of Deron Hunsberger as senior vice president, North America sales, for its WMS Gaming slot manufacturing division; and former Bally Marketing VP Dan Savage as the new vice president of corporate marketing.
Hunsberger was a sales executive with the former SHFL entertainment when it was acquired last year by Bally Technologies. Scientific Games is in the process of acquiring Bally. In his new role, Hunsberger will lead sales, participation and leasing, sales support, and marketing for the WMS Gaming business throughout the United States and Canada. He will lead the WMS team’s sales and marketing strategies.
Hunsberger has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience. He served as senior vice president of sales, Americas at SHFL entertainment from 2011 to July 2014 after joining the company as vice president of sales for North America in 2010. Previously, he was senior national manager of gaming operations at Aristocrat Technologies, and director of North American sales at Konami Gaming.
“Our goal as a business is to be the partner of choice for all our customers,” said Gavin Isaacs, president and CEO of Scientific Games. “I know Deron well, and his deep understanding of the gaming industry and his commitment to creating revenue opportunities for customers will bring us closer to that goal. We are thrilled to have him on board, as he brings a new level of energy and excitement that will invigorate our sales initiatives to help our customers keep their players in the game.”
“Scientific Games offers immense opportunity for success and continuous improvement,” said Hunsberger, “and I am delighted to join the company. At the end of the day, success is driven by quality products and content; WMS Gaming has an impressive product portfolio that consistently generates revenue, and we plan to maximize that value for our customers, players, and the company.
“With a treasury of world-class products across multiple gaming platforms, a commitment to customer service and a clear vision of the future, we stand ready to help our customers keep players in the game. I’m excited to join such a passionate team.”
In a separate release, Scientific Games announced the appointment of Dan Savage as vice president of corporate marketing. Savage was formerly corporate marketing VP at Bally Technologies.
In his new role, Savage will work closely with the company’s Gaming, Lottery and Interactive groups to identify, evaluate and leverage opportunities to increase player appeal and positioning in the marketplace. Additionally, he will provide leadership in the planned integration of Scientific Games and Bally.
“Dan is a passionate leader with an eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement,” said Isaacs. “His expertise in marketing, product definition, brand management, product and customer research, and experience in company integrations will greatly benefit and speed the transformation of Scientific Games as we begin this exciting new journey as a larger, customer-centric company.”
Savage was with Bally from 2008 until 2013, where he was responsible for overall branding of the company, products and product differentiation. Prior to that, he was head of one of the business units of 3M Company.
Savage said, “There is nothing more important than building trust, integrity and ongoing value in the company’s brand. I look forward to building a world-class team that helps deliver the most compelling gaming experiences in the industry.”
