A native Russian, Ekaterina Giganova now lives in the northeast of France. Since her early years, she was interested in all aspects of communication and languages. In fact, her University studies were focused on journalism and mass media. She even worked as a journalist for several years. At some point of her career, her professional ambitions changed, and she moved to the PR and marketing areas more than ten years ago. During that time, she learned a lot: working with mass media from the other side, managing events, using social media and advertising, building a brand, and yet there’s so much more to keep on learning!
When talking about her starting in the gaming sector, she answers: “It was a lucky chance. When I acquired some experience in marketing, I received an offer from a development company that was hardly known to me. However, I was passionate about technology, so I decided to try. Shortly after, the holding company concentrated its efforts on online gaming software, and the EvenBet Gaming brand was born. I needed to give a new brand an initial push through media coverage, presence at key events, and well-placed advertising. Did we succeed? I believe so: otherwise, I wouldn’t be here in this conversation, and we wouldn’t be considered a number-one online poker supplier across several growing markets. From a single ICE London in 2016, the number of events has increased to about 20 in Europe, Asia, and the Americas in 2023. We’re getting hundreds of publications every year. More than 30 million poker players are using our software. So I’m happy now being Head of PR and Events at the company.”
Always active, curious, hardworking, interested in novelties, she explains the reasons of her devotion to the industry: “The combination of entertainment and evolving technology gives me the most passion for my job. The iGaming industry never ceases to surprise, innovate, and create new forms of fun using top-edge tech: AI, blockchain, sophisticated algorithms, and big data processing. It provides a non-stop self-development and education challenge, on top of the obvious benefits of working with international teams and getting a decent income.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF FEMALE INCLUSION
Regarding DEI issues, Giganova thinks that, progressively, online gaming has become a better segment in terms of inclusion and equality, with a significant change since 2016-2017. Back then, she recalls some networking drinks with only four or five women in a room full of a hundred guests, or conferences with 100% male speakers.
“Now, we see women represented, being listened to, creating their communities, and increasing their influence. It’s not everywhere in the world: there are still regions where women, if present in the companies, occupy administrative or service positions: secretaries, accountants, office managers, etc., and don’t have any significant influence on product development or company policies. To women starting their careers, I would recommend assuming there could be inequality, but never to be discouraged. Lately, we have seen the industry changing: once started, this process will continue, and we’re already on our way to becoming more inclusive and diverse,” she says, hopeful.
ORGANIZATION, ACHIEVEMENT OF TASKS AND LEISURE
When describing herself, she admits being organized, consistent, and used to relying on her internal motivations to deal with challenges, both in her professional and personal life. Even if she can’t always manage to do 100% of what she wants, her priorities are set well enough to achieve good results. As a colleague, she is known for establishing comprehensive and clear tasks and providing valuable feedback. After being a journalist and managing marketing projects in the agency, she cannot underestimate the importance of these two. She enjoys learning things, work-related or not: new tools, languages, better practices, or even recipes. On the other hand, sometimes, being so self-organized doesn’t leave her enough time for spending with her family and friends.
Precisely, around the time balance between work and leisure, she says: “With remote work, the balance improved, once I learned to set boundaries. When I started working remotely, I had understandable temptations: sleeping in, getting on my calls in pajamas, and pushing work until late at night. It was even worse for the life balance than a daily commute to the office: I seemed more or less busy with current tasks 100% of my wake time. With a dedicated workspace, stricter hours that I’ve set myself, and limited late-night mail and message checks, I can tell where professional ends and personal starts. Little effort to organize brings magnificent results.”
OTHER PASSIONS, INTERESTS AND PROJECTS
Like many executives in the gaming industry, she loves traveling, and adds several vacation destinations from time to time. She really values learning more about different cultures, meeting people, and trying something new. Being physically active daily is also crucial for her. She enjoys going to the gym, dancing, hiking, or simply taking a stroll if she doesn’t have time and energy for anything else. She is also keen on creating things with her hands. For instance, last year, she redecorated her home office on her own: from creating a project to painting the walls, it was a welcome change of routine and a chance to get some new skills!
About prospects and aspirations for her future, Ekaterina shares: “Professionally, I would like to increase the capacities of the in-house PR team of EvenBet Gaming. Now, we are very concentrated on English language-based activities and European media. Due to the evolving situation in Latin and South American markets, I’d like our company to be no less effective in creating Spanish-language content. This tactic could help to reach the strategic goal: to become the first choice of poker software provider in the region. Personally, I have numerous aspirations: we are living in stressful times of great uncertainty, with an economic crisis, war, and rapid technological progress. All these global events touch the industry and people working in it. I hope that, in 2023, we will finally have peaceful skies and a more predictable economic situation.”
In one line
A book: the latest that I fell in love with: “Stupeur et tremblements” (Amélie Nothomb, 1999). It’s a touching satirical novel exploring the differences between Asian and European mentalities.
A movie: too many choices!
Favorite music: salsa
A fragrance: Alien, by Thierry Mugler
A place to live: France, for sure
A place to go on vacations: French Polynesia in winter, North Europe otherwise (Scotland, Ireland, and all Scandinavian countries will do)
A place for dining out: Italian restaurant, no specific preference
A meal: grilled salmon
A drink: black coffee, no sugar
A sport: hiking
A teacher/mentor or main reference in your life: my mistakes are the best teacher