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EMERGING LEADERS
eSuccessful Tonya Roedell
Casino 9-1-1
Director of Digital and Professional Services, Aristocrat Technologies, Inc.
Craig Jacobs Director of Incident Response and Problem Management, MGM Resorts International ith more than 41 million visitors to Las Vegas in 2014, the need for quick incident response and problem management professionals within the gaming industry has become increasingly high. As the director of incident response and problem management for MGM Resorts International, Craig Jacobs and his team are essentially the “FEMA” for casino technology. “When something is going wrong, we step in to make sure resources are being allocated and we strive to make sure that all services are restored, especially when it comes to those affecting our guests,” Jacobs says. Jacobs’ team ensures that all IT-related issues that may arise are handled effectively and efficiently. As a professional in the field of information technology, Jacobs has also published Breaching America, which strives to educate readers on the basic techniques used to siphon billions of American dollars each year. The book provides simple steps to improve security and prevent issues like the data breaches experienced by companies such as TJ Maxx, Target, Home Depot and Las Vegas Sands. Much of the insight provided within this publication is from Jacobs’ personal experiences, gathered from a data breach that occurred during his time with Affinity Gaming. Upon graduating from Murray State with his MBA in 2006, Jacobs happened upon the gaming industry when he was offered a position with Sands Regency in Reno. Shortly thereafter he was introduced to Las Vegas through Herbst Gaming (now Affinity Gaming), which acquired the Sands Regent casinos in 2007. New to the industry, the seasoned hospitality and gaming veterans around him compelled him to stay. “They taught me a lot and just made it an amazing learning experience,” he says. “The industry is a complex environment that requires a lot of attention, so it fits with the way I like to operate.” Of Jacobs’ many mentors, Ferenc Szony, the CEO of Truckee Gaming, has been the most important as it relates to the gaming and hospitality industry. “I was fortunate to work with Ferenc and many other industry leaders during the economic downturn, which led to a bankruptcy and reorganization of Herbst Gaming,” he says. “I have always appreciated the trust Ferenc had in me, which gave me in-
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valuable learning opportunities at a young age.” The economic downturn and subsequent bankruptcy of Herbst Gaming represent Jacobs’ largest challenge in his career to date. The entire gaming industry was on the verge of bankruptcy, with stock prices falling 50-70 percent for many companies. This led to adjustments in volumes and workforce, creating stressful situations for many industry employees. As a regional IT manager for Herbst Gaming at the time, many looked to Craig to find operational efficiencies to “do more with less,” improving the bottom line and cutting costs. “Around this time there was a turn towards data from a lot of regional operators,” he explains. “Free play had been a largely unchecked marketing tool prior to the downturn. Free play went from a ‘marketing tool’ to increase frequency to a true ‘cost’ of doing business.” It was during the downturn that a major shift in hotel room pricing affected the industry. This shift became the inspiration behind RateShepherd.com, a reporting tool to help hotels track the rates of their competition. “Before the downturn hotel room rates were largely based on historical performance and occupancy,” Jacobs says. “In the downturn, room pricing was all over the place, and without software it was impossible for hotels to keep track of their position in the market. Today, many hotels use the software to maximize revenue in their forecast.” As a successful industry professional, Jacobs has advice for anyone looking to advance their career in the gaming industry. “Generalize and specialize. It is important, especially early in any career, to focus on what you do well. By developing an expertise that has value, your personal brand can be established, recognized and leveraged.” This mantra was borrowed from Jacobs’ father, Dr. Marty Jacobs, who is an expert in learning and curriculum development. The advice has served him well. —Joe Dimino, The Innovation Group
chance meeting at Del Mar’s opening day led Tonya Roedell to her career in the gaming industry. From the start, it was clear she would be a front-runner in the industry. Her experience working in e-commerce set the stage for her role in internet marketing at Caesars Entertainment and her current role as director of digital and professional services at slot-maker Aristocrat Technologies. During her time at Caesars, Roedell rolled out internet marketing campaigns for Caesars Entertainment casinos and the Total Rewards program across the United States. At Caesars, she utilized the skills she had acquired as a graduate of Northwestern Oklahoma State University, one of the first e-commerce programs in the country. Her main task was to create campaigns that met both the needs of the regional casinos and the goals of the corporate marketing team. One of the challenges she faced was finding that balance between the overarching goals of the corporate leadership and individual operations of the family of casinos and brands. While she met some resistance at first, Roedell worked with the operators to move from the traditional mailers to build a strong online presence at each property. Encouraged by her mentor, Katrina Lane, Roedell applied for and moved into a management position at Caesars Entertainment. As the vice president of channel marketing at Caesars, Lane ensured that Roedell had a seat at the table with decision-makers and provided her with strategies to have her voice heard. Although Lane has moved on to her current role as executive vice president of operations and marketing at American Express, she continues to mentor Roedell and provide support. Again, Roedell finds herself at the forefront of technology and marketing at Aristocrat Technologies. She was brought on board in 2013 to lead a new division of the company which focuses on providing support to customers, increasing product performance and building lasting relationships. As gaming platforms expand from the traditional brick-and-mortar building to social and online gaming, Roedell works with clients to ensure that these components work together to provide a quality experience not only for the property’s customer, but also the operator. En-
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