Inside Asian Gaming is pleased to announce the 20 official nominees for the 1st IR Academy Asia (IRAA) Awards – 10 nominees for each of the two categories to be awarded at the Awards Cocktail Reception Ceremony on 30 November 2021 at The Londoner Macao.
As previously explained on IAG, the inaugural 2021 Awards will be a fairly low-key affair, with the two awards categories being Rising Stars, for those IRAA members born in 1981 or later, and Industry Icons, an all-round generalist award for those in our industry who have stood the test of time and demonstrated consistent contribution to the overall growth and success of the industry.
Voting for the Awards opened today and will remain open until 4pm on Friday 26 November. Voting is only open to IRAA members. Any person who meets the IRAA membership eligibility criteria may join the IRAA for free by signing up to the IRAA website at www.iracademyasia.com. The main criteria for membership is working in the legal land-based IR or gaming industry in a gaming or non-gaming capacity for a minimum of two years.
Voting is a preferential system which means IRAA members are still able to have their say even if their first preference is not successful. Members must vote at the IRAA website.
Full details of the nominees may be seen on the Official Nominees page of the IRAA website, and also below.
RISING STARS OFFICIAL NOMINEES
José Alvares | Partner | CA Lawyers
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José co-founded CA Lawyers at the age of 29. He is a council member on the Macau Lawyers Ethics Board, after a six-month internship and five years collaborating with a veteran Macau-based Portuguese lawyer. He offers political commentary in local Macau media and enjoys playing sport in his spare time.
Vicky Chan | Assistant General Manager – Corporate Sales & Marketing | APE
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A gaming product expert, Vicky has spent over 13 years in the gaming industry. Her main responsibility is establishing sales objectives by forecasting and developing regional annual sales quotas in Asian territories. She also seeks new products and strategic partnerships with Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) suppliers and machine leasing projects.
Chun Howe Saw | Director of Electronic Gaming Operations | Paradise Entertainment
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Howe is a highly accomplished, tenacious and seasoned professional with over 16 years of gaming experience in both the OEM and operator sectors. He possesses in-depth knowledge of business management principles, including strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting and compliance. Howe holds an engineering Diploma and is completing his MBA next year.
Mark Howell | Head of Sales | TCSJohnhuxley
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Mark has worked in the African and most recently APAC region over the past 10 years. He has developed TCS JOHNHUXEY’s profile in the APAC region through strong relationships and consistently grown TCS JOHNHUXLEY’s market share. Mark is passionate about the gaming industry and proud to be representing TCS JOHNHUXLEY.
Amit Patel | Systems Sales Manager, Asia | Scientific Games
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Amit is a highly accomplished and tenacious professional with over 13 years’ experience. With in-depth knowledge of casino management systems, he worked his way from technical roles to systems sales. Responsible for systems for SG Gaming in Asia, he has been instrumental in increasing SG’s market share in the region.
Ankur Sharma | Regional Account Manager, Asia | Scientific Games
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Ankur began servicing Bally’s systems clients globally and has accumulated over 13 years of experience. He has worked on projects in Asia, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Ankur is a tenacious and dedicated professional who sells slots, tables and utilities and continually shows drive when it comes to sales.
Dave Smith | Director | Asiul Trading Co. Ltd
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Dave has run Asiul, scent and fragrance product specialists in Macau, for 14 years. He has grown the business vastly in recent years, working closely with all the major IRs in the Asia region. He is instrumental in design, supply and continual development of the gaming and hotel scent industry.
Phil Stormonth | Key Account Manager, Asia | Aristocrat Macau
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Based in Macau for 10 years, Phil is an experienced sales and business development manager. Graduating in the UK with a law degree, he has held roles in project teams, system sales and EGM account management. Phil is continually learning and brings a new perspective to customers, colleagues and players.
Rishi Tirupari | Vice President of Sustainability | Wynn Resorts Macau
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Rishi is responsible for developing and implementing Wynn’s sustainability program and advancing the concept of responsible luxury, which balances luxury and sustainability. Prior to Wynn, Rishi worked at Sands China and Las Vegas Sands. He has been working on improving sustainability in the gaming industry and integrated resorts since 2011.
James Wong | Assistant Vice President for Marketing Communications | Suncity Group
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James functions as a coordinator between Suncity’s corporate office and its various subsidiaries and business units. He was previously at Venetian Macau, Grand Hyatt Macau, Crown Plaza Osaka and Conrad Macau. An MBA graduate, he is educated in hotel and gaming management and lectures at the City University of Macau.
INDUSTRY ICONS OFFICIAL NOMINEES
Cheryl Callaghan | Executive Director Customer Experience and Service | Sands China Limited
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After education in London, Cheryl had 24 years with Crown Perth in training and operations, following by three years in hospitality. Arriving in Macau in 2013, Cheryl has been with Sands in customer service and experience roles ever since, first for Venetian Table Games and now for Sands China generally.
Ciarán Carruthers | Chief Operating Officer | Wynn Macau Limited
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Originally from Ireland, Ciarán has been in the Asia Pacific gaming industry for over 30 years. He was COO of StarWorld from 2002 to 2009, then had four years as CEO of a gaming consultancy service. He was an SVP at Sands China for three years before his current role.
Michael Cheers | Sales Director – Asia | IGT
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Michael is responsible for IGT business in the Asian region, delivering the company’s product portfolio of games, systems and services and leading the IGT Asia team. He has extensive Asia Pacific industry experience, having been with IGT for more than 20 years in key roles in Australia, Singapore and Macau.
Michael French | Senior Vice President, Gaming Operations | Suncity Group Management and Consultancy Limited
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Michael French has been with Suncity just over one year. Prior to that, he had two years with Grand Lisboa Palace, five years consulting on his own account and two years focussing on Baha Mar in the Bahamas. He has over 35 years industry experience in the Americas and Asia.
Michael Jensen | Co-founder and Executive Director | VISION Entertainment
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Starting in the Australian club sector, Michael had a short stint in South Africa before managing the slot operation at Macau Tower. This was followed by a year at Crown Macau and seven years at MGM Macau, in operations and marketing roles. He established a casino services company in 2016.
Ken Jolly | VP and Managing Director, Asia | Scientific Games
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Ken Jolly’s global experience in the gaming industry has spanned over 40 years, making him one of the most recognizable industry figures. From Australia to the Americas and Europe to Asia, Ken’s experience covers all facets of a successfully managed gaming product supply company with proven global experience and growth.
Olivia Lee | Director of Business Development | Mega Fortris (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
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Starting her career in the Malaysia stocks industry, Olivia joined Mega Fortris 20 years ago. She is a formidable driving force and a major contributor to her company’s profitability in its business of supplying casinos and resorts. Describing herself as passionate, committed, self-driven, self-motivated and responsible, Olivia is an eternal optimist.
Panos Makridis | Assistant Vice President Finance Compliance | MGM
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After a decade at Crown Melbourne table games, gaming integrity and responsible gaming, Panos moved to Macau in 2008, joining Galaxy in compliance, cage operations and responsible gaming. After stints with Shuffle Master Asia and Dolphin Gaming, he joined MGM China, and now heads credit and collection and finance compliance.
Herman Ng | Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director | Asia Pioneer Entertainment Holdings Limited
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Herman is a talented specialist with an abundance of experience in the Macau electronic games industry. He and his partners established APE in 2006. In 2017, APE successfully navigated its IPO. Herman also led a smart vending machine business setup in 2021, successfully launching the machines in Macau and Zhuhai.
Harold Tsakmaklis | Vice President of Casino Operations | Sands China Limited
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With 18 years of experience in Macau and 10 in Australia, Harold is a casino gaming executive with high credentials and a proven track record of success. His extensive knowledge includes Integrated Resort and casino gaming operations, including premium and VIP gaming, strategic planning, forecasting, budgeting, financial planning and compliance.
