The Board of Veltyco Group Plc (LON:VLTY), the online marketing and operator company for the gaming industry, this morning announced a number of changes to its Board and Senior Management, including the appointment of Melissa Blau as Chief Executive Officer and Rainer Lauffs as Chief Operating Officer with immediate effect.
Since its Admission to AIM in June 2016, Veltyco has achieved significant growth, both from a product and geographical standpoint, as well as starting to operate its own online gaming brands in addition to its existing marketing activities. The Board believes that significant opportunities continue to be available to the Company, both within new and existing markets, and the Board has therefore decided to enhance the composition of the Senior Management team, including the creation of the role of Chief Executive Officer, to capitalise on these opportunities.
As part of this evolution, both Uwe Lenhoff and Hans Dahlgren will step down from the Board with immediate effect. They both will remain fully committed to the Company and will retain leading roles within the Company’s Senior Management team. Uwe Lenhoff will become the Company’s Head of Business Development which will allow him to focus on his strength as an entrepreneur and new business generator whilst handing over the day to day operations of the business to Rainer Lauffs. Uwe remains a significant and highly supportive shareholder in Veltyco, a member of the Senior Management team and is fully committed to the long term development of the Company. Hans Dahlgren will continue as the Company’s Chief Technical Officer.
Melissa Blau is being appointed as Executive Director and the Company’s Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect. Melissa will bring 25 years of management experience in the entertainment and financials industries including 15 years of experience in the gaming industry.
Rainer Lauffs is being appointed as an Executive Director with immediate effect and will assume the role of the Company’s Chief Operating Officer. Rainer has been working alongside Uwe since the Company’s incorporation in 2012.
In addition, the Company also announces the resignation of Ilan Tzorya as a Non-executive Director with immediate effect to pursue other business interests.
The Company is also pleased to announce that it has appointed Gilles Ohana as its Non-executive Chairman. Gilles joined the Board in November 2017. The Company confirms that it intends to seek a further independent Non-executive Director in line with the continuing growth of the Company and a further announcement will be made as appropriate.
Melissa is a graduate from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and has an MBA from Harvard University. She has been working in the gaming sector since 2004 as both an operator, adviser and investor. Her extensive experience in the gaming sector includes CFO of St Minver (sold to GTECH), Operating Executive at Global Leisure Partners and CEO of acquisition holding company, Europa Point Group, before starting her own consultancy firm, iGaming Capital. Over the past several years, she has taken an active role in developing the iGaming market in the United States, where she has been advising many large land-based Casinos.
Rainer Lauffs is a business graduate from Philipps University of Marburg (Germany) and has been working in the online gaming world since 2006. Among other projects, he was significantly involved in building up PartyGaming’s business in Germanic and Dutch territories. Since 2012 Rainer has been working alongside Uwe in managing all gaming projects for Veltyco.
Following these changes the Company’s Board will comprise of:
– Gilles Ohana: Non-executive Chairman
– Melissa Blau: Chief Executive Officer
– Marcel Noordeloos: Chief Financial Officer
– Rainer Lauffs: Chief Operating Officer
– Mark Rosman: Non-executive Director
The Board is pleased to welcome Melissa and Rainer to the Board and would like to thank Ilan for his contribution to Veltyco over the last year and wishes him every success in the future.
