Global gaming supplier Light & Wonder, Inc will begin searching for a new CEO after current President and Chief Executive Officer Barry Cottle announced overnight he was stepping down from the role.
Matt Wilson, currently Light & Wonder’s Executive Vice President and Group Chief Executive of Gaming, will fill in as interim CEO while the search for a permanent replacement gets underway. The company said it has engaged a leading national executive search firm and that the process will include both internal and external candidates.
“As we enter the next chapter of our growth journey as the leading cross-platform global game company, we are confident that now is the right time to make this leadership transition,” said Jamie Odell, Executive Chair of Light & Wonder.
“Our Executive Vice Chair, Toni Korsanos, and I have worked closely with Matt for over 10 years, including most recently as he has successfully worked to turn around and reposition Light & Wonder’s Gaming business for long-term growth. We are confident that his strategic insights, deep industry knowledge, rich experience and impressive track record make him the ideal person to serve as interim CEO during this transition period.
“We thank Barry for all of his contributions to the fundamental reshaping of the Company that has positioned it for continued success. With our transformed balance sheet, continued strong business momentum and great progress executing on our capital allocation priorities, we see a tremendous opportunity to drive shareholder value. We look forward to working closely with Matt and the rest of the management team as we continue to execute on our strategic roadmap and deliver on our growth targets.”
Wilson boasts almost 20 years of industry experience, having recently led the strategic growth plans for Light & Wonder’s gaming team while overseeing product development, production, supply chain and sales of the company’s gaming products, systems and services. He previously served as President and Managing Director, Americas at Aristocrat.
