Paris Smith: I work best under pressure!

When Paris Smith announced that she was stepping down as CEO of Pinnacle after 17 years, many in the industry were surprised. However, the long-time leader at Pinnacle did not leave the industry altogether, but set her sights on a new challenge. We talk about this challenge, but also about the history she has written at Pinnacle, her motivation for action and inspiration, her further work with Pinnacle, and the Barcelona trade show, which is fast approaching.

After 17 years as CEO, you have decided to leave Pinnacle. What prompted you to make this decision?

It was about seeking new challenges and allowing a fresh perspective. I think its fair to say this was quite a run and with the changes in the industry landscape it felt like I had done what I can for Pinnacle, and it was a good time to use my experience and expertise outside of day-to-day operations and do more with growth and strategy within the industry.

What are you most proud of, what Pinnacle has been able to do during your tenure?

Creating a high performant culture with outstanding people. I always believe in setting people up for success, the business foundation was something I dedicated a lot of time to. What I’m most proud of personally was the navigation of the extremely challenging times. I work best under pressure!

You have a new professional challenge ahead of you. What does it involve, what are you going to do now?

I want to add value to the industry that I am passionate about and love. Working with start ups, companies that want to shift strategy as well as the investment side. There is so much potential and value with the new ideas being created every day.

In your profile, you emphasized that you will continue to be close to Pinnacle. What will this correlation be?

Working with the owner of the company is the focus. I had dedicated all of my time to Pinnacle, now I have the opportunity to use my experience outside of the niche market Pinnacle has. It’s been very exciting!

In the near future, you will perform at the SBC Barcelona event. Is this the only industry event this year, or can we expect your appearances at other industry events from the iGaming sector?

I plan to attend a number of events this year, networking is key to staying on top of what’s happening and of course I have a lot of close friendships that I have forged over the years and catching up with friends is always an added benefit! The conference attendance is really a must for people serious about creating the moat value for their organizations.