GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 25 - June 2013

looking for. I worked myself up through all the departments in different com- panies. This is an advantage, as I know now that if you have never worked on the player’s side, it is impossible to un- derstand the entire industry. When I first started, I had no idea what a “whorehouse” I would be entering. :) But isn’t that the reason why most of us also stay in this industry? LOL. No, but hon- estly, we are all a big family in the industry and I think that’s why people enjoy work- ing in it and also move within it. I had no idea of how big this industry actually was when I first started and how much it changes and grows constantly to keep up with trends and needs. How do you ensure that payments are sent out on time? And when do your payments go out? Our payments go out by the 15th of every month. Income Access, our back-end software, makes it easy for us to run reports and manage our affiliate payments accurately and in a timely manner. Our payments are closely monitored and processed by our Head of Payments, Risk and Processing, Errol Spanier-Marson, who has over 10 years’ experience within the banking and online industries, including Nedbank in South Africa, Capital One in the U.S. and del- tathree in Israel. Where do you think the industry will be in five years? From what I have experi- enced since I started in this industry eight years ago, I can say that the tendency will be towards regulating the entire indus- try. Due to recent events, such as Italian regulations, German territorial licenses and many other signs, as well as Party Gaming pulling out of all South American gray markets, I can say that the entire in- dustry will sooner or later become regu- lated. That’s why we have also decided to run under the unique EU License issued in Malta under the management of the LGA, which is in compliance with ISO- 17799 “Information technology – code of practice for information security manage- ment,” unlike any of our competitors. Your native language is French. Did you grow up in France? What is it like living in Israel? Yes, I am French and I grew up and lived in Paris and the French Riviera, and before moving to Israel I treated myself to two years of surfing in Biarritz (close to the Spanish border). Living in Tel Aviv is like managing a ca- sino operation. Everything is open 24/7; something happens all the time. You can- not rest from parties, beach, BBQs and meeting people. Yet, all that makes living in Tel Aviv a dream. If someone from out of town were to visit you, where is the one place you would have to take them? It’s impossible to take someone to only one place here. There is so much to see and experience, but if I had to choose, I would take him for a proper Israeli lunch in the Kerem Hatemanim (the Yemenite quarter of Tel Aviv), then for a cold beer on the beach and to finish him off, I would take him to one of the most famous underground clubs (also my second living room), the Cat & Dog Club. What’s the best movie food? Pistachios and pecan nuts. It might be an Israeli thing, as nuts and grains are very widely eaten here all the time, but it also depends on my munchies mood. And as you know, men will eat whatever they can find in the house. What is the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? And did you read it on an e- reader? Or do you need to have a copy of the physical book in your hand? I don’t have a lot of time to read, unfortu- nately. But I did get the chance to read Mosab Hassan Yousef’s autobiography, Son of Hamas . A very powerful story of espionage and the never-ending conflict of the Middle East. I read it in paperback, as I love the smell of books. I might be old- fashioned that way, but I’m OK with that. What is your favorite movie? Pulp Fiction , without a doubt. I have to admit, though, that Django Unchained came very close to my all-time favorite. If you had a theme song, what would it be? “Young, Wild and Free,” byWiz Khalifa. If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go? Hawaii or Tahiti. Those are the best spots in the world for surfing, in my opinion. If you could have dinner with three other people, living or dead, who would they be? 1. My grandma, as she left us when I was already in Israel and I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye properly. 2. Adolf Hitler. I would like to have him sit at a nice Shabbat dinner at our house and ask him what exactly he doesn’t like about me or my family and ask him to explain his hatred over a glass of good Israeli wine. 3. Ayrton Senna. I was such a big fan of his when I was a kid, and I crashed my first car because of him! In case one of these is not available, I would invite Teddy Sagi and sell him my product. :) What would you do if you just inher- ited a pizzeria from your uncle? As I am French, I am more likely to inherit a boulangerie, but whatever it would be, I would definitely try to keep it up and running. It was always a dream of mine to own my own place, where I can always go to sit with friends and have some good wine and food. What are three things that no one knows about you? 1. I only learned to speak English when I started working in the industry. I never had a single English lesson in my life. 2. My wife, two kids and I all have the same initials (A.A.). 3. I have a degree in French Cuisine. AFFILIATE MANAGER INTERVIEW SERIES Affiliate Manager Interview Series