Emerging Leaders

Don-Lee Hardy graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice administration and big dreams to break into the criminal justice world, when his actualdream job was unexpectedly thrown into his lap. As he was waiting for his background checks at several law enforcement agencies to clear, he accepted a job working security at a local casino in the interim.

After a year of working in security, he transferred into surveillance and quickly realized how much he enjoyed working in this new realm. Hardy took great satisfaction in this particular field because of its expansive overview of all facets of casino operations.

In a few short years, he worked his way up from surveillance operator to department trainer, and again up to shift manager and the opportunity to build a department at a newly opening casino from the ground up. He did everything from hiring team members to forming policies and procedures, and in August 2019, he joined Sycuan Casino Resort as a safety specialist.

Hardy was quickly taken by the positive culture at Sycuan, which clearly trickled from the top down. He was impressed by the level of involvement that the tribal council members had in operations and making themselves available to team members. Describing Sycuan as “a great place to work,” Hardy notes their ambition to innovate, heartened by the fact that “because that’s how we’ve always done it” is not in their repertoire when it comes to creating and improving systems. With their willingness to try new strategies and take chances, they have consistently succeeded in improving quality for guests and team members alike.

The Covid-19 pandemic was perhaps the perfect illustration of a time when forward thinking had never been more crucial. With the unique challenges the pandemic brought, it also inspired new thinking, from team member and guest accountability, headcount, and overcrowding prevention, to the hiring of safety agents, and to the rearranging of events, restaurants, table games and slot machines. Guiding Sycuan’s best practices was an enormous ordeal, and the progressive approach of Hardy’s team was integral to the casino’s success.

When Hardy flashes back to the pivotal moment that had the greatest impact on his career, it was the jump from his comfort zone of surveillance to internal audit. This change was far different than what he had experienced previously, and helped him transition into the field of safety. In the safety world, the risks are higher due to factoring in the well-being of team members and guests. In internal audit, the focus is on ensuring strong controls and regulations, which he also takes very seriously.

This change involved a leap of faith on his part, but with the support he received from casino management and his drive to prove them right, he entered this new workspace with perseverance and an unshakeable work ethic. In addition to these character traits, Hardy’s interpersonal skills have benefited him throughout his career.

Well aware that “no one is excited to sit down with the internal audit guy,” he quickly established a line of open communication with the different departments, being careful to take an approach that was collaborative and not combative. When the departments and senior management saw his team player attitude and interest in helping them improve, the trust was established, and they now reach out to him regularly.

Hardy is a firm believer that drive, passion and relationship skills can carry a career to far lengths. His advice to all future emerging leaders is, “When you remove yourself from your comfort zone and what you think you know, you open yourself up to accomplishing even more than what you initially envisioned. Dream bigger and don’t settle.” —Marie Casias is manager, marketing and administration for The Innovation Group.

Araksi Sargsyan is a bookworm. She creates a home library wherever she lands in her work: Latin America, Asia, Armenia, and her hometown of Tbilisi, Georgia. She gives some of those books to her co-workers.

“However, I don’t know why my Peruvian colleagues need works of Remarque and Marquez in Russian,” she quips.

Spreading her love for books throughout the world speaks to Sargsyan’s travels on behalf of her employers. Born in Tbilisi just as the country separated from the Soviet Union, Sargsyan describes herself as Armenian by nationality with Russian roots and a Georgian spirit.

She received a degree in linguistics, but never felt a connection to that field.

While still in university, BetConstruct invited her to interview for a job.

“I had a football past, so integration into the gambling industry was not difficult for me,” says Sargsyan, now head of business development for DS Virtual Gaming.

She loved the excitement, the risk. “You will not get bored.”

Sargsyan sees travel as part of her career plan. “Since childhood, I have studied foreign languages, as I have always dreamed of communicating with people from different countries, with a different mentality and vision of the world,” she says.

Sargsyan joined DS Virtual in April 2020 just as the coronavirus pandemic took root. Her current position interacts with all departments to coordinate tasks and offer the client the best experience.

“It begins with product development, sales, account management, and so on. Here I can use all my experiences on a grand scale, and it makes me happy,” she says. Covid-19 cut out all travel.

“I am a very extroverted and open person,” Sargsyan says. “I like meeting new people and getting to know their stories personally.”

On the other hand, she got to spend more time with her family.

“But I am looking forward to meeting my colleagues and industry peers again. Nothing beats live communication.”

Sargsyan spent almost two years with Digitain and two and a half with FinUnion.

“To some extent, BetConstruct, FinUnion, Digitain, and now DS Virtual Gaming made me what I am now,” she explains. “Being a person who always works with dedication and gives all the best where I can, I have absorbed the philosophy of my companies. Each of them generously rewarded me with experience.”

When it comes to obstacles, Sargsyan says you need to understand the source of the problem.

“Patience is a crucial aspect. I am a very temperamental person. So, staying calm and waiting has been something that I needed to learn. At the end of the day, obstacles are in our heads.”

She says her parents are her biggest boosters.

“Their unconditional love and sacrifice made me what I am today,” she says. “When I was 14, my parents told me ‘Remember, daughter, no matter what happens to you in life, in this house you will always find love and support.’ These words inspired me.”

In five years. Sargsyan hopes her company becomes one of the most sought-after for virtual games. And she hopes to have a family.

As for advice, she says enjoy every moment.

“Appreciate everything you have before it fades away,” she says. “Don’t judge yourself for each mistake. After all, you are just a human being.”

—Bill Sokolic

Ashley Eurich has taken a circuitous route in her career. A degree in English and psychology. A film production class. A maid service. A concrete company. University. A film festival. Each step contributed something.

“I have always felt guided, and although some decisions put me in difficult predicaments, I always prevailed, gaining valuable experiences and skills along the way,” says Eurich, vice president and chief of operations at Lockdogs, which manufactures locks for slot machines.

After graduating from Minot State University in 2008, Eurich worked in insurance sales, before she launched a maid service business at a time when she also worked for a concrete company in various supervisory roles. She left North Dakota for Minneapolis in the summer of 2015 to run a startup for her fiancé. Even after the relationship ended, she continued to operate the company through early February.

The film class evolved after the separation. “The class gave me hope and provided a skill set I came to apply later on in a variety of roles,” Eurich says.

In October 2016, Eurich shifted gears again and joined Capella University in management positions, initially in Minneapolis and then remotely. The following January a friend asked her to help with the jellyFEST film festival in Los Angeles.

“The experience helped me find my confidence. It also showed me that I can do anything that I am called to do... even joyful things,” she says.

When her team at Capella went remote due to Covid-19, morale dropped, she says. Meetings were difficult.

“Covid made it all hell, plus trying to maintain a job, my sanity, finances—it was one of the biggest struggles I have ever gone through,” she says.

She left Capella last December with a separation package just before the college instituted involuntary layoffs.

“The day I made my decision to take the offer, a double rainbow appeared in the sky,” she explains. “I loved that job, but the work culture was reactive and my efforts to improve the inefficiencies were stymied.”

While still with Capella, Eurich joined Lockdogs in 2018 and moved up to chief of operations in January. In addition to her title, the job entails distribution, communications, troubleshooting, generating new business, demos, trade shows, even installation.

“Any hat that a business needs put on to run, I wear it.”

For the position, Eurich works remotely.

“The challenge is being my own motivator,” she says, “checking every item off the list without the energy of an office or a team motivating me to do it.”

Still, Eurich considers herself a success despite a lack of a roadmap.

“I am blessed because I am resourceful enough to execute anything in front of me,” says Eurich, who relaxes by writing. “I have handled obstacles by simply doing them, and not quitting. And I have learned another opportunity always awaits.”

Eurich’s influences include her father. “He showed me I am loved.”

Jeff Connor, the owner of Lockdogs, has been the closest thing to a mentor. “He has never given up on me. He taught me to see things through. He tells me the potential he sees within me.”

As expected, her advice reflects her own career.

“Listen to those who truly believe in you and speak goodness into your life. Take risks and let go of any worry about how things will turn out. A thousand opportunities will present themselves.”

—Bill Sokolic