GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 38 - July 2017

Natasha Goffman | Merkur Partners Before joining Merkur Partners, you held other affiliate marketing positions at bwin.party and GVC. How did you first get into the industry? It has been a decade since I joined the industry – time indeedflies when you are having fun! It was 2008when I returned to Tel-Aviv, after finishingmymas- ter’s studies in Germany. In my early 20s, I was not aware of the gaming industry or that Israel was a hub for gaming operations and their marketing activities. I didn’t even know what affiliation was when I went to a job interview at GVC, which had recent- ly opened its offices in Tel-Aviv and was looking for German speakers. There was a spirit of something unknown and exciting happening there that I wanted to be a part of. Our new teamwas trained by coaches in sales and active gaming affiliates, whowere coming to the office and giving us training sessions. The best part was indeed learning fromaffiliates to understand their needs and what makes a goodpartnership. This is how I embarked into the gaming industry. How does your current position at Merkur Partners compare to your other affiliate marketing jobs? What lessons from your previous experiences have been the most valuable in your work at Merkur Partners? I see all my previous positions as a great education and price- less training field, and consider Merkur Partners my third baby. It has been a great Say hello to this issue’s affiliate managers: Natasha Goffman, Head of Affiliates at Merkur Partners, and Leone Stranges, Affiliate Marketing Manager at IGT Partners. While they hail from Tel-Aviv and Gibraltar, respectively, Natasha and Leone have much in common, starting with their need for a nice cup of coffee in the morning. Both discovered the iGaming world while working on their master’s degrees, and they are both committed to working individually with affiliates to create a program that meets their needs. So if you see them at a conference or on the GPWA Forums, go ahead and introduce yourself. They both would like to partner with hardworking GPWA affiliates! Meet the Affiliate Managers Affiliate Manager Interview Series 62 w w w . g p w a t i m e s . o r g