Inside Asian Gaming is pleased to announce all 100 judges who will lend their expertise on the Judging Panel for the 2026 IAG Academy IR Awards.
The Awards will be held in the Manila Ballroom at Manila Marriott Hotel, Newport World Resorts, on the evening of Tuesday 15 September, and consist of 26 Awards categories plus a special induction ceremony as part of the IAG Academy Hall of Fame, which will include Rising Stars, Industry Icons and the Industry Legend award.
The Public Call for Candidates for the 2026 IAG Academy IR Awards is currently underway. Details can be found via the IAG EXPO website at iagexpo.com/nominations. For more information on the Awards, please visit iagexpo.com and navigate to the “AWARDS” menu under “EXPO”.
The 100 judges comprise some of the most experienced minds in the business representing a variety of sectors including operators, suppliers, lawyers, consultants, media and more. The full list of judges is as follows:
- Andrew W Scott, Vice Chairman and CEO, Inside Asian Gaming (Judging Panel Chairman)
- Lino Airosa, Managing Director, BCI Worldwide
- Sérgio de Almeida Correia, ACS Lawyers and Private Notary
- Sandy Amida, Chief Gaming Officer, Newport World Resorts
- Dennis Andreaci, Independent Gaming Consultant
- David Baxley, Regional Vice President – Entertainment, Sands China Ltd and Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd
- Kevin Benning, SVP and General Manager, Studio City Macau
- Ben Blaschke, Managing Editor, Inside Asian Gaming
- Luísa de Bragança, Senior Assistant General Counsel, Sands China Ltd
- Harmen Brenninkmeijer, Executive Chairman, NYCE International Ltd
- Daryl Bruce, Director, Product Management EGMs (Asia), Light & Wonder
- Ciarán P Carruthers, CEO, General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority
- Daniel C. Cecilio, SVP Land-Based Operations, Licensing and Regulatory Group, PAGCOR
- Pedro Michael M. Cendaña IV, General Manager, PAGCOR
- Tony Chan, CFO and Executive Director, Asia Pioneer Entertainment
- Greg Chase, Former Corp VP, MGM Resorts International
- Nelson Cheung, Systems Sales Manager – Asia, IGT
- Charles M. Choy, Co-Chairman, Macau Beer Company Limited
- Michael Clifford, Director of Casino Operations, Caesars Entertainment Inc
- Carlo R. Climaco, Vice President – Integrated Resorts, Belle Corporation
- Carlos Eduardo Coelho, Partner, MdME
- David Croft, SVP Gaming Optimisation & Strategy, Tangam Systems
- Graeme Croft, President Asia-Pacific, Walker Digital Table Systems
- Rui José Da Cunha, Lawyer / SJM Resorts Secretary-General, C&C Lawyers / SJM Resorts, S.A.
- Rui Pedro Cunha, Executive Vice President, Macau European Chamber of Commerce
- Geoffrey Davis, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited
- Robert Dykstra, Manager of Business Development for Asia Pacific, AMATIC Industries
- Jeffrey Évora, President and COO, Winford Resort & Casino
- Scott Fisher, Managing Partner, Convergence Strategy Group
- Maulin Gandhi, President, Tangam Systems
- Kelly Gass, President, San Marco Capital Partners
- Tommy Gibbons, Chief Operating Officer, Casino Marina
- David Green, Gaming and Governance Consultant
- Fredric E. Gushin, President and CEO, Spectrum Gaming Group
- Antonio Benigno V. Gutierrez, Acting General Manager, PAGCOR
- Maria Victoria M. Gutierrez, Assistant Vice President, Slot Machine Department, PAGCOR
- Rod Hackman, VP of Gaming Operations, Hann Casino Resort
- Trevor Hammond, Senior Vice President – Gaming & Integrated Resort Operations, NUSTAR Resort & Casino
- Ryan Hong-Wai Ho, Lecturer and MBA Programme Coordinator, Centre for Gaming and Tourism Studies, Macao Polytechnic University
- Michael Hu, President – Asia Pacific, Interblock Asia Pacific
- Ian Hughes, CRO, Gaming Laboratories International; CEO, GLI Australia
- Florence Ian, President of Executive Board, International Tourism Professionals Development Association, Macao
- Brett Ingram, Assistant Vice President – Event Development & Management, Sands China Ltd
- Nicholas Ionides, Senior Vice President, Communications & Corporate Affairs, Marina Bay Sands
- Sabri Jaafar, Managing Director, SammQuattro Inc
- Michael G Johansen, President Gaming Division, StarDream Cruises
- Ken Jolly, VP Strategic Development, Asia, Light & Wonder
- David Jorden, Executive Vice President Gaming, Hoiana Resort & Golf
- Sudhir Kalé, Founder & CEO, GamePlan Consultants
- Keijiro Kan, Chairman, Angel Macau Ltd
- Kevin Kelley, Chief Operating Officer – Macau, Galaxy Entertainment Group
- Herris Kocibelli, Founder & Managing Director, HWK TradingCo Ltd
- Joji Kokuryo, Senior Regional Account Manager, Light & Wonder
- Michael Krispli, Vice President – EGM Operations, NUSTAR Resort and Casino
- Matthew Lai, Business Development & Operations Advisor, Aruze Gaming Global
- Buddy Lam, Director of Corporate Affairs, Galaxy Entertainment Group
- Desmond Lam, College Master and Professor, University of Macau
- Kevin Lee, Director of Sales, Asia, Sega Sammy Creation
- Mike Lei, Vice President – Macau Integrated Tourism and Leisure Enterprises, Young Professionals Association
- Roger Lienhard, Executive Vice President – Hospitality, Galaxy Macau
- Marcus Lim, Founder & CEO, Vault Corporation
- Raymond Lo, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Marketing and General Manager, Altira Macau and Mocha Clubs
- Richard Longhurst, Senior Director, Galaxy Entertainment Group
- John Lucas, Chief Hospitality Officer, Newport World Resorts
- Shigeki Machida, Managing Director, Matsui Asia Ltd
- Atty. Walter L. Mactal, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal & Administrative Officer, Newport World Resorts
- Nuno Sardinha da Mata, Partner, Lawyer, Notary, C&C Lawyers & Notaries
- Shaun McCamley, Founder and Managing Partner, Euro Pacific Asia Consulting Ltd
- Greg Meares, Vice President of Facilities Management, Facilities Management Administration, MGM China
- Scott J. Messinger, Chief of Staff, Inside Asian Gaming
- Niall Murray, Chairman, Murray International (Macau) Co. Ltd
- Herman Ng, CEO, Asia Pioneer Entertainment
- Ma. Vina Claudette Oca, Assistant Vice President, PAGCOR
- Ruel S. Oro, General Manager, Ortiz Gaming Philippines (GGVC)
- Ronald G. Pineda (Peepo), Director, Thenix Solutions Ltd
- Joe Pisano, Founder and CEO, Jade Sportsbet
- Cristina Quental, VP Integrated Marketing & Communication, Sands China Ltd
- Tonet Quiogue, CEO and Founder, Lawyer, Arden Consult International Pte Ltd
- Trevor Ross, Head of Venue Services, MAX, a Tabcorp Company
- Elena Santos, HR Head, Streamtech Systems Technologies, Inc
- Graça Saraiva, Partner, MGS Legal
- Filipe Senna Fernandes, Director of Marketing Relations, SJM Resorts, S.A.
- Tim Shepherd, Senior Partner, Fortuna Investments
- Chen Si, Chief Operating Officer, Resorts World Sentosa
- Paul Simmons, CEO, Kairos Gaming
- Suat Sirin, Founder and President, Tecnet Asia
- Dave Smith, Director, ASIUL Trading Co Ltd
- Evan Spytma, CEO of Casino Plus and Hotel Stotsenberg Leisure Park and Hotel Corporation
- Philip Stormonth, Senior Director of Sales for Asia, Light & Wonder
- Ángel Sueiro, COO, PH Resorts
- Larry Synstelien, President, ReadyLinks
- Danny Tang, Vice President and General Manager of Sands Macao, Sands China Ltd
- Alan Teo, Chief Executive Officer, Hoiana Resort & Golf
- Harold Charalampos Tsakmaklis, Executive General Manager – Gaming, Crown Resorts
- Francis Valenzuela IV, Account Manager – Philippines, IGT
- Rutger Verschuren, Area Vice President Macau & Hengqin, Artyzen Hospitality Group
- Antonio Lobo Vilela, Lawyer, Lobo Vilela Advogado
- Samuel Wilson, Founder and CEO, TKHS Global Holdings Pte Limited
- Ian R. Wood, Business Development and Senior Sales Manager, Dallmeier International (Macau) Ltd
- Betty Zhao, Senior Vice President of International Operations, Aruze Gaming Global
All judges have their name, title, organization and brief profile featured on the Awards website at iagexpo.com/awards-judges.
The 2026 IAG Academy IR Awards are part of the “IAG EXPO” taking place at Newport World Resorts from 14 to 17 September 2026. In addition to the Awards, IAG EXPO will also include the inaugural iDEA Summit – presented by IAG’s sister company Complete iGaming and focusing on the regulated online gaming industry in the Philippines and beyond – as well as networking social Manila After Dark, the IAG Academy Summit and the invitation-only The Regulators Forum. The Regulators Forum is organized in partnership with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact:
Jadeson Ho
+853 2875 2959
jh@asgam.com
Alex Coutinho
+853 6328 1757
alex@asgam.com
Caroline Iau
+853 2875 2959
ci@asgam.com
For media, production and event enquiries, please contact:
Dorothy Loi
+853 6802 1905
dorothy@asgam.com
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