Being part of one of the largest gaming companies in the world such as IGT is a source of pride, and, at the same time, of commitment to David Flinn. In fact, he has spent the most of his 15+ years in the sector working for the company. During this ‘G&M 1on1’ conversation, David took a look back on his professional development in the industry. More than 9 years ago (since 2011), he started at IGT as Regional VP for Canada, until the company decided to promote him and expand his responsibilities over Central and South America, which is his current position.
Before that, this graduate from the University of New Brunswick, in Canada, was Executive VP of the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (2009-2011). Previously, he has been working as Sales Director at Spielo (2005-2009). In 2004, Spielo was bought by GTECH, a Rhode Island-based lottery technology company. Later, in 2014, when GTECH acquired Nevada-based IGT, the entire company became known as ‘IGT.’
A good section of this very interesting interview of 22 minutes was centered in his company. We discussed differences and products preferences between Canadian and Latin American clients and players. He highlighted how much has IGT expanded in Central and South America over the last decade, and the leading position the company is having today. Besides, he shared some thoughts about the ways the company has supported its clients during these difficult pandemic times.
As usual in our interviews, at the beginning, we talked about his personal memories on his childhood, his upbringing in Canada, his love for sports (hockey, golf, baseball), the values passed on to him by his parents, his current family, and his projects. At the end, we asked him about his favorite places in Canada, and he recommended some great spots to visit.
We anticipate here a few excerpts of this cordial chat:
ABOUT GAMING AS A BROAD, FUN INDUSTRY
“Gaming is really a fun job. It’s a diverse business with a great environment. For instance, looking at IGT alone, we have different sides of the business: lottery, VLT, casino, interactive/digital. It’s a broad segment of the economy, with so many things to learn about. One of the reasons I enjoy it so much is that the IGT portfolio is so expansive that you have a wide horizon of issues to deal with on a daily basis.”
ABOUT LEADING A GROUP OF COLLABORATORS
“As a leader of a team, I would say the key is communication. This is not about my own personal ideas, but everybody’s ones. It’s about our customers’ thoughts and preferences, our employees’ goals, and also about creating an environment where people know you will genuinely listen to what they have to say. When you give people a voice and have internal productive debates, and everybody is focused on the company’s goals and aspirations, that’s when you are successful, and when you will grow and be better in the business.”
ABOUT FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR THE COMPANY
“In the next two or three years, we will expand our verticals, grow the participation space and the Play Digital space. Players will be able to travel back and forth between verticals seamlessly with the same account, the same wallet and the same multi-program. This is the future and where IGT needs to be as a strong business.”
You can enjoy this interview for free by clicking on this link to access the G&M News’ YouTube channel.