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Caesars Entertainment Appoints Rodney Williams to Board of Directors
Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced the appointment of Rodney Williams to its Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2024, subject to required regulatory approvals and pending licensure. With a unique perspective derived from a track record of luxury brand-building, strategic and digital marketing, and corporate leadership, Williams will bring a distinct and innovative vision to the Caesars Entertainment Board of Directors.
“Rodney is an important addition to the Caesars Entertainment leadership team. Rodney’s career leading some of the world’s best-known beverage brands gives him unmatched perspective in the hospitality industry. His exceptional track record in luxury and premium brand building during his time with Diageo and LVMH and his continued commitment to the food and beverage industry through his service as a trustee and executive committee member of the James Beard Foundation will give us added insights into the continuing confluence of entertainment with the culinary arts as we shepherd Caesars Entertainment into the future,” Gary Carano, Executive Chairman of the Board of Caesars Entertainment, said.
Williams recently stepped down as President of the Diageo Beer Company and President of Diageo Canada, leaving a legacy of success. In that role, he oversaw new momentum for Guinness beer, with the brand becoming the fastest-growing on-premise brand in the US in 2023 and strong growth for Guinness 0, which made great strides in the US and became the top-selling non-alcoholic beer in Canada. His leadership also delivered unprecedented growth on Don Julio Tequila and Johnnie Walker Scotch in Canada, as well as a powerful national partnership with Bailey’s liqueur and the iconic Tim Horton’s chain.
Prior to joining Diageo in 2022, Williams spent 11 years at Moet Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. His last role there was as Maison (or global) President of Belvedere Vodka – the first American to become a Maison president at Moet Hennessy. Previously, Williams served as Chief Marketing Officer for the entire US brand portfolio, ranging from Don Perignon and Krug Champagnes to Glenmorangie Scotch, and before that as SVP for Hennessy US. Under his leadership, the Hennessy business quadrupled in topline sales and operating profit over a five-year period.
Before joining LVMH, Williams served as SVP of Lifestyle Brands for Jackson Family Wines, where his team delivered the largest new product launch in the company’s history, Kendall Jackson Avant wines. Previously, Williams had been SVP for Lifestyle Wines at Robert Mondavi before and after its acquisition by Constellation Brands. Before joining the wine industry, Williams began his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and General Motors.
“I’m pleased to have Rodney Williams join our Board of Directors. Rodney brings a different perspective to hospitality, having experienced it from the upper echelon of luxury beverage brands. His experience in innovation, digital and experiential marketing, and implementing optimization makes him a good strategic fit for our Board of Directors. I look forward to working with him to continue to drive results for our guests, Team Members, and shareholders,” Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, said.
In addition to being a trustee of the James Beard Foundation, Williams serves on the Executive Leadership Council, is a director of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, and was a 2024 juror for the Cannes Lions marketing awards. He was recently named to the 2024 “Most Influential Black Corporate Leaders” list by Savoy magazine. He also advises three startups: Zitti, Qonsent, and CKBG.
Braunfeld joins C-Level team as Xpoint continues rapid growth in 2024
Xpoint, a leading geolocation and compliance technology company, has appointed Ron Braunfeld as its Chief Revenue Officer, as the company continues to enhance its market presence and drive innovative solutions within the geolocation space.
Braunfeld joins Xpoint with a wealth of experience in business development, sales, and strategic partnerships within the technology and venture capital sectors. Most recently he was Vice President of Business Development at Mobi Systems, and prior to that, General Manager for Philadelphia at Capsule.
Braunfeld has 12+ years of experience within the location technology sector. Early in his career, he led business development efforts at MapQuest. After MapQuest, he went on to be on the founding team at WHERE, leading business development efforts. WHERE was the industry’s first location-based advertising network that was ultimately sold to PayPal. While at PayPal, Braunfeld led Business Development efforts for the newly formed PayPal Media Network. Other roles within the location technology sector include President of SnipSnap and Vice President of Business Development at Pingup.
As CRO, Braunfeld will be responsible for driving Xpoint’s revenue generation efforts, enhancing client relationships, and identifying new business opportunities to ensure the company’s continued growth and success.
Manu Gambhir, CEO of Xpoint, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ron to our executive team as Chief Revenue Officer. His extensive experience and impressive achievements in business development and sales within the technology and venture capital industries will be invaluable as we expand our offering and strengthen our market position.”
Ron Braunfeld said: “The iGaming and geolocation industries are developing rapidly, so to join an innovative technology-focused company like Xpoint at this time is incredibly exciting. I am looking forward to helping the company continue its strong growth trajectory through the delivery of the most accurate, reliable and cost-effective geolocation services available in the market.”
NetBet Mexico and popular online gaming provider Octoplay have announced an agreement that will make Octoplay’s games available for NetBet Mexico customers to enjoy.
Despite only being founded in 2022, Octoplay has rapidly established itself as an influential member of the iGaming industry, developing multiple entertaining and popular slots such as Lollicat, Eternal Clash, and Shaolin Panda Chaos Reels – which are among the flagship new Octoplay titles being made available to NetBet Mexico customers.
NetBet Mexico’s PR manager, Claudia Georgevici, said: “Selective partnering is a key tool at NetBet as it helps us to filter out the best companies to join forces with. Despite their young age, Octoplay have shown their commitment to creating enjoyable titles, and we look forward to our players experiencing their creativity for themselves.”
The full range of new Octoplay titles can be found online at the NetBet Mexico website.
The CT Lottery has launched its iLottery platform. Players can participate in the fun of online lottery and their favorite draw games by visiting ctilottery.org or by downloading the CT Lottery mobile app on the iOS platform (Android app to follow next month). The app comes with exciting new features that allow players to personalize their lottery experience, such as saving favorite numbers and wagers, grouping preferred games for easy purchasing, and setting limits for wagering and time spent on the app. Along with these features, the CT Lottery mobile app will still include the ability to view winning numbers, scan lottery tickets purchased at retail to check if they have won, and much more.
With the new launch, Connecticut becomes the 11th state to offer online Lottery sales.
“iLottery gives Connecticut residents a convenient and secure way to play lottery games, whether choosing the every-four-minutes speed of KENO, the huge, life changing jackpots available through Powerball and Mega Millions, or the twice-a-day Play3 & Play4. In addition to our 2800 retailer locations, iLottery allows you to pretty much play anytime and anywhere you are. Lottery scratch tickets are only available in retail so be sure to shop retail too,” Greg Smith, President and CEO of the CT Lottery, said.
The games that will be available through iLottery are KENO, Powerball, Mega Millions, Lucky for Life, Lotto, Cash5, and Play3 and Play4.
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