How did you first get involved with marketing to the amusements industry?

I am a recent newcomer to the amusements industry. I was first introduced to the industry when I was hired last May as UK business development manager by Congatec, a manufacturer of embedded computer modules based in Deggendorf, Germany.

Why? What attracted you to this sector?

Congatec has a range of computer modules with extremely high graphics performance that are ideally suited for use in gaming machines, and this is a growing market for us. The amusement market traditionally uses PC technology for standalone machines. When speaking to the amusement-machine manufacturers I typically find that they have not considered computer-on-module (COM) technology due to the higher initial implementation costs. The benefits of COMs lie in their easy upgradeability, allowing gaming manufacturers to always stay ahead of the game. So there is a lot of educational work for me to do to convince the manufacturers of the technology’s long-term cost-savings potential.

How does it compare with the other sectors you’ve worked in?

Compared to some of the other industries we sell into, such as the industrial market, the amusement industry is very fast-moving. The gambling public gets bored quickly, so the amusement business has to be very dynamic, releasing frequent new products, and this is very costly in terms of R&D and manufacturing. Just like in other markets, there is a lot of competition and the market has been affected by the recession, but there is still pressure to release the next magical product that will generate increased revenues.

What are the biggest positive factors for the sector right now, the drivers of growth and development?

The recession has been a very big factor. The companies in the gaming sector now need to be much more innovative and adopt new technologies that help drive costs down in the longer term. Digital-signage applications are now in use for advertising and this technology is a very positive move.

What are the negative ones – the obstacles to growth?

The negative obstacles…well, it appears to me that the suppliers are often locked into the manufacturers already, and it’s very difficult to break into the market. This needs to be addressed to provide a competitive market, reducing costs of components and technology.

Looking at your whole career, what do you reckon was your smartest move (large or small)?

I think that one of my smartest recent moves was to work for Congatec. They are a very dynamic company with exponentially increasing revenue. They have great technology that can save system developers a lot of build costs over the long term.

And your dumbest one?

I can’t say that there was a dumb move in my career. I have had a lot of roles over the years and gained valuable experiences from all of them.

Where do you hope you’ll be, professionally, in ten years’ time?

I am very busy these days developing UK business for Congatec. I have started to identify great potential in the UK for COM projects in various markets including gaming. I look forward to a few more years of developing this business and making Congatec a well-known UK supplier.

And finally – if you’d never embarked on this career, what other line(s) of work would you have liked to pursue?

I have always dreamed of being a stockbroker, but the financial crash of 2008 put that dream to bed.

Curriculum vitae

Education:

1979-2000 RAF Cosford No. 2 School of Engineering

1984-85 Moray College of Further Education – HNC in computing studies

Career Highlights:

1979-88 Royal Air Force, in roles including flight systems technician and software engineer

1990 managing director, Software Developments (IT security business)

1993-95 software engineer, Aerosystems International

1996-99 software engineer/architect, Racal

1999-2006 with aviation/aerospace supplier SBS Technologies as field applications engineer, sales engineer, and system specialist

2006-09 embedded systems specialist, GE Fanuc since 2010 UK business development manager, Congatec

Personal interests:

Chess, winemaking

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