2012 Lottery Industry Hall of Fame Members
Christophe Blanchard-DignacFormer President & Chief Executive Officer, La Francaise des Jeux
Country: FRANCE |
Christophe was appointed President & CEO of La Francaise des Jeux in 2000, after a distinguished career spanning 20+ years within the French National Government. During his career, he served in a variety of administrative and technical positions within the Ministry of Economy & Finance, and other national government agencies, regularly assuming positions of progressive authority and responsibility. Immediately prior to his appointment to La Francaise des Jeux, he served as Director of the Budget, Ministry of Economy & Finance from 1995-2000.
During his tenure as President & CEO of the La Francaise des Jeux, annual sales (turnover) increased from $6.03 billion in calendar year 2000 to $14.82 billion or €11.45 billion in calendar year 2011, improving its ranking in annual lottery sales from the fifth to third largest worldwide. Christophe was a key player in and one of the primary organizers of Euro Millions for its launch in 2004. More recently, he has directed LFdJ’s expanded mission and the development of its Internet sales and sports wagering (Total) business segments, the former reaching €315 million in 2009 and the latter reaching €1.13 billion ($1.47 billion) for 2011. In addition to his serving as LFdJ’s President & CEO, Christophe has served as First Vice President of the European Lotteries Association from 2005 to 2012, and as a member of the WLA Executive Committee from 2000-2012. He has also served as a board member of the French (National) Economic & Social Counsel and the Agency for Sports Developing. Professional life
Other organizations
Christophe and his wife Veronique reside in the Paris area with their daughter. |
David GaleExecutive Director, North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL)
Country: USA |
David B. Gale has been the Executive Director of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) since March, 1995. He has been an active member of the Lottery Industry for over 28 years and has participated in both the public and private sectors. Gale is a graduate of Kent State University, with a BS degree in English. His lottery industry experience began with serving as Director of Marketing for the Ohio Lottery where he was instrumental in the development of the first lottery TV game show, Cash Explosion.
In the private sector, Gale served as Vice President of Marketing and General Manager of the British American Banknote (BABN) Pennsylvania printing facility, where he oversaw the complete instant ticket printing process for the company’s North American lottery clients. While at BABN, Gale participated in the 1987 start-up of the Kansas Lottery. After leaving BABN, Gale became Vice President and General Manager of MDI. Since assuming the role as NASPL Executive Director, Gale has successfully added a long list of accomplishments including advocating for the industry while offering congressional testimony, publishing, conference and trade show coordination, industry leading research, standards and best practices, and day-to-day membership activities. |
Bill HuntleyExecutive Vice President, Group Chief Executive of Gaming, Scientific Games Corp.
Country: USA |
Mr. Huntley is responsible for Scientific Game’s global Systems business which includes: U.S. Lottery Systems, European Lottery Systems, Video Gaming, Systems, Sports betting and Internet Systems and support business for Scientific Game’s lottery customers organizations worldwide. With over 40 years of experience in online wagering systems, Mr. Huntley’s leadership role at Scientific Games has played a major role in the growth of Scientific Games from its beginnings as Autotote Corporation, a $25 million per year racing technology company to the nearly $1 billion diversified gaming company that it is today.
Mr. Huntley is responsible for the introduction of many “firsts” that are in common usage today to the global lottery industry. A sample of these significant innovations include:
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Chuck StruttExecutive Director of the Multi-State Lottery Association
Country: USA |
Chuck Strutt was the first employee of the Multi-State Lottery Association and has been its executive director since 1988. The first multi-state game in the U.S., Lotto America, was implemented by MUSL within months and included the participation of seven member lotteries. By the time that Lotto America was replaced by Powerball in April 1992, 16 lotteries had joined in selling the game. Today, games offered through MUSL are sold in 44 lotteries. The lead product Powerball has become the most famous lottery brand in the World. As executive director, Chuck manages the daily operations of MUSL, with primary responsibility for implementing the decisions of the MUSL Board of Directors.
Chuck was instrumental in establishing numerous other multi-state games including Hot Lotto, Wild Card, 2x2, Power Play and others and also in the production of Powerball the Game Show. Chuck has worked quietly in the background on dozens of major successful lottery projects and innovations with 177 lottery directors that have served on his board since 1988 and with many other U.S. and international lottery directors in non-MUSL game projects. Recent projects include working with a team of lottery leaders to support the cross-selling initiative between the Powerball and Mega Millions games and the change in Powerball to a $2 game – the last effort resulting an increase of $850 million in sales in FY12. Annual sales of MUSL games have surpassed $5 billion. As the number and variety of multi-state lottery and video games and projects increases, the responsibility for administering those sales has become more challenging with every passing year, and the need to build consensus among 44 member lotteries more pressing than ever. The technical and logistical challenges of managing these multi-state collaborations fall under the charge of Chuck Strutt and the MUSL staff. Under Chuck’s leadership, MUSL has developed initiatives in game accounting, prize pool management, and predictive game spreadsheets that are now accepted as standard practice by nearly all U.S. lotteries. MUSL has also been successful in its goal of maximizing its own non-game revenue in an effort to provide its services to its members at little or no cost. And no morning is complete without the emails from MUSL Lottery Industry News. Chuck was named one of the Top 100 Marketers in the nation by Advertising Age magazine; has been profiled in Forbes magazine; was awarded the NASPL Power’s Award for significant contributions to the lottery industry; and was awarded the Public Gaming Research Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He received his doctorate of jurisprudence degree from Drake University Law School in 1977 and has worked as an administrative law judge presiding over hearings regarding occupational safety and health, bingo licenses, sales tax permits, corporate and individual income tax, and professional licenses. Chuck also has a degree in Journalism and, for several years, wrote a humor column appearing in Iowa newspapers. Chuck’s dedication to serving the industry and helping each and every lottery achieve its goals is evidenced by the tremendous success of MUSL and the multi-state games. |
Donald R. SweitzerChairman, IGT Corporation
Country: USA |
Navigating the intersection between public policy and gaming takes a steady hand, and an uncanny ability to understand both people and the mechanics of government. Donald R. Sweitzer, Chairman of GTECH Corporation, understands what it takes to make sound public policy as well as navigate the politics that accompany gaming and the lottery. With integrity as his guide, he has been able to shape the debate and help introduce lottery and gaming programs that have become vital revenue generators for both states and countries.
A recognized authority on national politics and public affairs, he has advised numerous national, statewide, and congressional candidates throughout his career in government affairs and has worked at every level of government in the United States. Prior to joining GTECH, Don was a frequent commentator on politics on CNN’s Crossfire and other nationally syndicated programs. He is the former president of the Dorset Resource & Strategy Group, a public affairs company. He also served as the managing partner of Politics, Inc., a Kamber Company. Don served as the political director of the Democratic National Committee in the first term of President Bill Clinton. He was the Clinton-Gore state director in Kentucky in the 1996 re-election campaign. In 1992, Don served as a senior advisor to the Clinton-Gore Campaign in the State of Michigan. From 1985-1989, he served as the finance director of the Democratic National Committee. Prior to that, Don was employed by the U.S. Senate as a special assistant to the late Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum, D-Ohio. In 1984, he served on the presidential campaign of former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois in the primaries and as the state director in Ohio in the general election. Don started working as an advisor to GTECH in 1989 and has been with the company since then – only taking time out to work for President Clinton. Through the years, he has been a catalyst for growth for both the company and the industry. He was the Senior Vice President, Global Business Development and Public Affairs and was responsible for leading the company’s efforts in identifying and developing new business opportunities in targeted markets and supporting the expansion of GTECH’s products and services in existing jurisdictions. He was also tasked with continually enhancing the company’s communications and services to its worldwide government and commercial clients. Don has been involved with some of the world’s largest and most successful lotteries. In South Africa he worked closely with Uthingo, the consortium GTECH participated in to launch the first national lottery in that country. Over the years, he has had a hand in shaping GTECH business and the industry with lotteries in the United Kingdom, Poland, New York, California, Texas, and most recently with the new private manager model in Illinois. Today, as the Chairman of GTECH, he is responsible for acting as an ambassador for the company when interacting with global customers, current and future potential business partners, and government officials. He and his wife, Sheri, a former special assistant to the White House Counsel, reside in Rhode Island. He is the father of four and has six grandchildren. |
Jennifer D. WestburyExecutive Vice President, Sales & Customer Development, Pollard Banknote
Country: CANADA |
Jennifer Westbury joined Pollard Banknote in 1991. During her more than 20 years here, Jennifer has been a leader in Pollard Banknote’s evolution into becoming a key partner and major vendor in the industry. As the member of Pollard’s Executive Committee responsible for Pollard’s Sales and Customer Relationships, Ms. Westbury has been at the forefront of Pollard’s tenfold growth during her time with the company.
Ms. Westbury has been directly responsible for the development of Pollard Banknote’s international clientele by securing new contracts in Europe, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, and Africa while overseeing the delivery of products and services meeting the highest standards in the industry. Ms. Westbury also led the growth of the company’s presence in the Canadian marketplace, establishing long-term relationships with all Canadian lotteries. She now oversees our team that deals with all our clients and still works directly with lotteries on strategy development and implementation, continuing her involvement with many of the world’s leading lotteries. Ms. Westbury’s drive for excellence extends to helping her clients grow their revenues by implementing best practices, launching new products and services, and optimizing the positioning of established offerings. Whether a mature lottery or a new start-up, Jennifer’s experience and expertise contribute to the success of some of the world’s leading lotteries. Ms. Westbury’s passion for innovation is widely recognized at Pollard Banknote and throughout the industry. As a key member of Pollard Banknote’s Executive Committee, Jennifer provides strategic direction and leadership in all aspects of company operations. She has played an instrumental role in the development of our company’s many industry-changing innovations, including our Fusion® products—Double Play® and PlayBook™, for example—and our highly successful Scratch FX® process, and most recently our interactive offerings such as Social Instants® and WebPlay®. Recognized as an industry expert by both colleagues and peers, Jennifer is also a regular presenter and panel member representing our company at conferences and meetings around the globe. Ms. Westbury graduated from Rice University in Houston, Texas, with Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees; she also studied at Oxford University in England. Prior to joining Pollard Banknote, Jennifer held consulting positions with Booz Allen & Hamilton, an international firm based in New York, and with Ernst & Young. Away from work, she is just as energetic. Jennifer and her family enjoy spending their leisure time actively—golfing, skiing, cycling, or hiking—somewhere in the great outdoors! |