IGT CEO Marco Sala to become executive chair; Vincent Sadusky to succeed him

International Game Technology (IGT) is making a series of executive and board leadership changes, the company announced on Wednesday. It is “an important step in positioning the company for the next phase of its evolution,” a press release states. The changes will be effective January 24, 2022.

Lorenzo Pellicioli will retire as chairperson of the IGT Board of Directors and will remain a non-executive director. Marco Sala, currently CEO of IGT, will become executive chair of the board, and Vincent Sadusky will become CEO and executive director of the board. 

Moreover, Maria Pinelli, who currently serves as a member of the board of directors for Globant, is being appointed to the board of directors and chair of the audit committee. Ashley Hunter, founding partner of risk management advisory firm A. Hunter & Company, is also being appointed to the board of directors.

In a separate release today, B&D Holding S.p.A., the controlling shareholder of De Agostini S.p.A., also announced that Marco Sala will be proposed at the June 2022 meeting of the corporate bodies of De Agostini as the next CEO of De Agostini, succeeding Lorenzo Pellicioli, who is retiring from the position.

"The changes to the IGT executive team and board are an important step in positioning the company for the next phase of its evolution,” states a press release. “The actions further strengthen IGT's capabilities to execute on its long-term strategy and the value creation initiatives identified in the company's recent investor day.”

IGT sees it as a natural evolution for Marco Sala to lead the IGT board. According to the company, during his 19-years at IGT and its predecessor companies, the outgoing CEO showed “a proven track record” of success, having earned “the trust and respect of IGT’s customers, investors, business partners and regulators. As executive chair, Sala is set to focus on managing the board, corporate governance, including sustainability initiatives, and guiding the strategic direction of IGT. 

"Likewise, we are delighted to announce that Vince Sadusky, a seasoned executive, long-time member of the current IGT board as well as that of its predecessor companies and the former chair of our audit committee will succeed Marco as CEO,” IGT added in its statement.

Vincent Sadusky was CEO and board member of Univision Communications from 2018 to 2020, the largest Hispanic media company in the US. He has served on the IGT board of directors since 2010 and most recently chaired its audit committee.

“Vince brings a unique set of skills to the role, where he combines his knowledge of IGT with his demonstrated ability to create shareholder value with decades in leadership roles in public and private companies in dynamic industries, including digital and media,” said Lorenzo Pellicioli, chairperson of IGT. “His transition into the CEO role will be relatively seamless." 

"I am looking forward to taking on the new role of executive chair at IGT and to partner with Vince, with whom I have worked extensively over the years, in leading IGT forward,” said Marco Sala upon the announcement. “I believe our skills and experiences are complementary and will serve our stakeholders well.”

Sandusky said he is “very excited” to join the company as its next CEO, which he sees as “well-positioned” for the future. “With a seasoned executive team and very talented group of employees across the world, it represents a great opportunity for me to support an industry leader in the next phase of its growth," Sadusky said.