Scientific Games Corp. announced the appointment of Connie James, currently chief financial officer of the company’s gaming division, as corporate executive vice president, chief financial officer, treasurer and corporate secretary, effective October 15.
She replaces CFO Mike Eklund, who announced he is stepping down to pursue other opportunities. Eklund will remain with the company to help transition James into her new role.
“Since joining Scientific Games, Connie has helped lead the gaming business through the unprecedented disruptions caused by Covid-19 and played a critical role in the company’s strategic review and developing our vision to become the leading cross-platform global game company,” said Scientific Games President and CEO Barry Cottle. “As we advance our strategy to become a content-led growth company, we are confident that Connie is the right executive to take the reins to help us achieve our vision and drive long-term shareholder value.
“Mike was instrumental in building a best-in-class finance organization with a deep bench of talent and helping to drive significant and consistent improvement in our financial results. He also played a critical role in our strategic review and the planned divestitures of our lottery and sports betting businesses to advance our exciting, transformative trajectory. We delivered record results in the second quarter, and the business continues to perform well in the third quarter.”
“Scientific Games is a company with enormous potential,” said James, “as we execute on our strategy to de-lever our balance sheet, invest in growth for the future and unlock value for our stakeholders. I am excited to work closely with Barry and the rest of our team as we capitalize on high growth opportunities available to us over the coming years.”
“I am incredibly proud of our team and what we have accomplished,” said Eklund. “With the progress we have made and the company’s transformation taking hold, I know that our finance team is in capable hands with Connie at the helm and that Scientific Games is set for an exciting future.”
