Recently, the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) announced its 2020 Executive Committee, and, for the first time in the Association’s history, all the committee members are women. This historic announcement came on August 18th, the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, underlining the lottery industry’s commitment to support women in leadership roles.
Montana Lottery Director Angela Wong is now President of NASPL, Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah Taylor is First Vice President, Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin is Second Vice President, and Wisconsin Lottery Director Cindy Polzin is Treasurer.
In addition to these appointments, several other women occupy leadership positions within the lottery industry: Rebecca Paul Hargrove, Tennessee Education Lottery President, President and CEO of the World Lottery Association (WLA), and Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership (WILL) Founder and Chair; Sarah Taylor, who, in addition to her roles with the Hoosier Lottery and NASPL, is Board President of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL); May Scheve Reardon, Missouri Lottery Executive Director and Chair of the Powerball Product Group; and Lynne Roiter, Loto-Quebec President and President of Interprovincial Lotteries (IPL).
The number of women in leadership positions within the lottery industry is a milestone moment, recognized by the Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership (WILL). Founded in 2016 by Rebecca Paul Hargrove, WILL’s mission is to drive high-performance business growth by supporting the advancement of women into top positions of lottery management, leadership, and responsibility. This global initiative is a celebration and confirmation of the transformative power of diversity, integrity, and inclusion.
WIN with IGT
At IGT, diversity and inclusion are critical both to how we grow and how we support our customers’ growth. Central to this effort are several Diversity & Inclusion Groups (DIGs), employee networks structured around underrepresented dimensions of diversity. The DIGs are open to all employees, regardless of identity or group affiliation and offer opportunities for professional engagement, development, and more. Each DIG is supported by executive sponsors to champion these important causes and help spread awareness.
The first DIG to launch was WIN with IGT – our Women’s Inclusion Network. Now with several chapters representing employees around the world, its purpose is to empower women at IGT through networking, professional development, and mentorship opportunities.
IGT is also proud to have several women in senior leadership positions: Wendy Montgomery, Senior Vice President of Global Brand, Marketing, and Communications; Rachel Barber, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer; and Dorothy Costa, Global Head of People and Transformation.
Montgomery, also a member of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Council, an executive sponsor of WIN with IGT, and a mentor with WILL, has a demonstrated history of leadership within the lottery industry, having previously served as Senior Vice President Lottery and iGaming at Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG). She now oversees the strategy for IGT’s global brand, trade shows, and external communications, including community relations, Responsible Gaming, and corporate social responsibility. With professional experience spanning multiple industries, including in the entertainment business, Montgomery is helping to drive IGT forward into the future. Her leadership of WIN with IGT and mentoring relationships through WILL are helping to advance a diverse and inclusive environment both at IGT and within the lottery industry.
Barber’s tenure with IGT has taken her all over the U.S. to ensure that IGT delivers on technology commitments to our customers. Throughout her nearly 30-year career with GTECH/IGT, Rachel has helped deliver technology products to customers and drive innovation to modernize industry offerings and practices. Additionally, she is focused on engaging employees and promoting diversity as a member of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Council, executive sponsor of >50 at IGT, which focuses on employees over the age of 50 and through her involvement with WIN with IGT.
Costa oversees strategy for IGT’s People and Transformation group, including diversity and inclusion, organizational transformation, and global services and talent management. With more than 20 years of human resources experience in the lottery and gaming industry, Costa brings a wealth of knowledge and guidance to help IGT to make strong strategic decisions on how we support our colleagues and enable them to be their most productive selves, constantly delivering successful products and services to our customers around the world. Costa is also a member of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Council and the Executive Sponsor to IGT’s SuperAbilities at IGT, a DIG focused on educating coworkers about people with disabilities while fostering an inclusive environment for disabled persons. In addition, Costa is also part of a Global Gaming Women Lean in Circle, a group of women in the industry that gather on a regular basis to connect, learn, and support one another in growing their careers.
Through the leadership of these women, IGT is demonstrating our continued commitment to supporting both the initiative of WILL and female colleagues around the world, helping them advance and drive our business and industry forward.
For questions and more information about Diversity and Inclusion at IGT, please visit our website.
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