SG Digital, the recently created Scientific Games Corporation division involved in digital gaming, sports and iLottery, announced Ashley Sandyford-Sykes was named senior vice president of the content team. Starting May 1, he will be based in the Chiswick office in London and be responsible for SG Digital’s nine game studios. Previously Sandyford-Sykes held numerous executive roles in the industry, and is a respected lecturer on slot product development and content strategy.
Sandyford-Sykes’ hiring is the last of SG Digital’s product and technology appointments. The others include Senior Vice President of Sportsbook and Platforms Keith O’Loughlin, formerly chief product officer and sportsbook director at Ladbrokes; Senior Vice President Gaming Dylan Slaney, formerly global innovation director at Dunn Humby; and Chief Technology officer Chris Armes, former Oracle vice president.
In addition, Sue Dawson, current Scientific Games’ legal director for the UK, will take on the additional role of SG Digital deputy general counsel. Previously she was assistant general counsel for Gala Coral Group and head of UK legal for Inspired Group. Ryan Ripley has been named interim chief financial officer for SG Digital.
SG Digital includes OpenBet, the world’s leading B2B Sportsbook platform; the player account platform Open Platform System; the industry’s most powerful content aggregation networks via its Open Gaming System and former SG Interactive’s Game Server; nine independent game studios; and the award-winning SG Universe Platform.
SG Digital Group Chief Executive Matt Davey said, “We’ve formed an extremely powerful team of technology and product leaders who are moving quickly with a dual focus. Firstly, maturing our EU-centric development and product capabilities to better support our larger UK and EU customer base, and secondly, establishing new capabilities in North America to meet the growing demand for our gaming products and be prepared for sportsbook expansion, should the U.S. become a newly regulated market. As an executive team, we are filled with a powerful sense of what we need to do to stand up and seize the opportunity in front of us. The changes announced today are aligned with that ambition, and I look forward to leading a division of outstanding product and technology talent.”
