ISSUE 7 FALL / WINTER 2017
Interview | SiGMA
and Sweden back in 1999 and later wrote my master’s thesis comparing sports betting and stock trading as forms of investments. After graduating university, I joined Unibet in 2007 and never looked back. Mette Lorenzen (ML): When I got my first job within the gambling industry, I knew very little about it, but once I was in, I was very attracted to the dynamic work environment and many growth opportunities available within the industry. I liked the fact that the industry is constantly evolving. Denise Cutajar (DC): I had been working for a recruitment agency specialising in finding talent for the gambling industry prior to joining Kindred, so I had a front row view of the many different gambling companies on the island. The environment and vibe I saw in these companies was something I really liked and craved to be a part of.
As Talent Acquisition Partner, what do you think is the secret to finding and retaining skilled, happy staff? KL: Kindred has a strategic commitment to offering our people the best employee experience. We are a multi location and multi-brand company, so are able to guarantee a wealth of opportunities within the company. Our organisation structure makes it easy for employees to have an impact and advance their professional growth.
“There is a really friendly atmosphere and lots of fantastic, professional people. Personally, I also value that Kindred is considered one of the most trusted operators in the industry and a frontrunner when it comes to taking social responsibility around gambling”
Within recruitment, we aim to find those people who not only have the relevant skills, but fit our values and have a desire to grow personally and professionally. We also offer a ton of benefits to our employees and believe in a healthy work-life balance. At Kindred you become a shareholder when you join the company, so you’re truly invested in the success of the organisation. We also offer relocation assistance, private medical insurance, a well-being allowance, paid community service leave, free eye-test and yoga. What does the future hold for Kindred? What are your expectations for SiGMA 2018 and beyond? KL: We’re working hard to deliver on our aim of becoming the number one gambling operator across all markets. We’re moving offices in London and Malta over the next few months - our head office in Malta will be moving to a new state-of-the art office in The Point. We also recently relocated our Gibraltar office to the World Trade Centre. We’re also working to further integrate 32Red, who we recently acquired, and we have some very interesting product developments on the way. For Sigma we’re hoping to meet some great people, learn from others and have a great time. Following our interview with Kati, we posed a number of questions to the group. What attracted you to a career in the iGaming industry? Jonathan Elfving (JE): My interest in gambling goes back a long way; in my teens I decided that this was the industry I wanted to work in. I think it is fantastic to be able to work in an area that is also a personal interest of mine. I started out as a croupier on the cruising ships between Finland 0143