&I
n an industry where luck is a key factor, Michael R. Chambrello has risen to the top courtesy of a combination of experience, talent, and hard work. In January 2010, Chambrello became chief executive officer of Scientific Games Corporation, a provider to the lottery, pari-mutuel racing, and gaming industries, and a leading supplier of prepaid phone cards to telecommunication companies. He also serves as president of the company. With annual revenue approaching $1 billion and a worldwide staff of 5,500 people, Scientific Games has a global presence with clients in some 43 states and more than 50 countries. Clearly Chambrello is a major player in the business arena. Yet he says that when he entered Southern as a freshman he was “as directionless as anyone can be” and “average in every way” — not a likely early profile for a man who would become an industry leader. Enter Southern, where in his sophomore year, Chambrello reached a crossroads. One of his professors, Kun Suryatmodjo, saw potential in the young student and gave Chambrello a challenge: “be average or get smarter” through hard work.
The kid from Plainfield, Conn., chose the latter: by junior year he was a teaching assistant; by graduation he had brought his grade point average up a full point. Chambrello would later establish an endowed scholarship at Southern in Dr. Suryatmodjo’s honor, benefiting students who were majoring in economics. “Southern gave me a real-world foundation and helped me to realize that even though I didn’t have the same pedigree [as executives who attended Ivy League schools], I could do as well or better,” says Chambrello. He later attended graduate school at American University’s Kogod College of Business. SCHOOL OF Chambrello joined Scientific Games in July 2005 as president and chief operating officer, drawing on a wealth of executive experience. Prior to joining the company, he was president and chief executive officer of Environmental Systems Products Holdings, Inc., a leader in emissions testing systems and services. He also served as chief executive officer of Transmedia Asia Pacific, Inc. and Transmedia Europe Inc., which provide membership and affinity programs.
Outstanding Alumnus 6
Previously, he was president of GTECH Corporation and executive vice president of GTECH Holdings Corp., a full-service provider to the lottery and entertainment industries. BUSINESS Chambrello had joined the company in 1982 as a project analyst and steadily climbed the corporate ladder. In his almost 20 years at GTECH, company revenue grew from $1 million to nearly $1 billion. Being honored by Southern is “really great for me,” says Chambrello, who serves on the SCSU Foundation Board of Directors. “There are so many people like me, average in so many ways, who got an extra push at Southern and found their direction.”
Michael R. Chambrello, ’79
Spring 2010 | 13