International Game Technology Plc. announced the appointment of Christopher Spears as senior vice president and general counsel, replacing Neil Abrams who is retiring effective December 31.
Spears will be responsible for “overseeing all legal and corporate governance matters” for IGT, and will report to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Alberto Fornaro.
Spears most recently served as group general counsel at Caterpillar Inc., the U.S. manufacturer of construction and mining equipment. He has 19 years of experience working for Caterpillar.
“As IGT faces significant opportunities in our rapidly evolving industry, Chris Spears’ skills and depth of experience with an international Fortune 500 company will foster strong partnerships with IGT’s leadership, and ensure that we responsibly meet our growth objectives,” Fornaro said. “Neil Abrams has been a valued member of the senior executive team at IGT. He played a key role in supporting the company through critical activities during and after the merger completion.”
Abrams will serve senior advisor to IGT’s CFO until his retirement.