Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | March 2012 22 Bally C ath Burns is a tough act to follow, but four months into his new job, Kurt Gissane appears to have found his stride. Mr Gissane was promoted to Managing Director of Asia Pacific for Bally Technologies Inc. in November last year, taking over the title previously held by Ms Burns, who has moved to London to assume her new role as Global CEO of TCS JOHNHUXLEY. Kurt Gissane has lived and worked in Macau since early 2005, witnessing firsthand the breakneck development of the local gaming industry since the arrival of the first post-monopoly casino properties in 2004. Mr Gissane joined Bally in 2009, and previously served as the company’s Director of Sales and Operations for the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to joining Bally, he worked for nine years at Aristocrat Technologies. Inside Asian Gaming caught up with Mr Gissane and asked him how he was settling in to his new post, and what Bally has got planned for Asia over the coming months and years. IAG : What have been your main priorities since taking over? Kurt Gissane : The big one was maintaining and strengthening relationships with all our customers and operators. Cath was a big part of this company and the face of Bally here, especially on the systems side— although I’ve run the games business for the last two or three years. I’ve been going out and assuring customers that although we’ve lost Cath and that’s unfortunate—she’s moved on to a great new opportunity— we’ve got a great team here and it’s business as usual. I also benefit from Cath’s legacy— she’s built a fantastic team, and we’ve got a strong management team who’ve been stable here for quite some time. You personally are well known for maintaining strong relationships with customers, and that’s perhaps a big factor behind your success in sales over the years. How is maintaining Lots More In Store Kurt Gissane, Bally Technologies’ recently appointed Managing Director of Asia Pacific, discusses his new job and growth opportunities in the region Kurt Gissane