Second Senior Departure at Yggdrasil as CTO Maciej Smolarek Steps Down
Expertise: Online casinos, Game tester
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Smolarek joined Yggdrasil from Crimson Pine Games, and prior to that, he spent a short time as head of internal tools at Ten Square Games. He has also held a number of positions at Huuuge Games, and prior to working in the gambling industry, he worked at itCraft in Poland.
He announced his departure on LinkedIn and made it clear he is actively searching for a new job.
After a challenging and amazing time in Yggdrasil, it’s time for me to go on a new mission. I’m looking for senior managerial roles in software engineering, I’m available very soon and open to travel.
Two Departures in Four Weeks
Smolarek’s departure came almost exactly one month after Mark McGinley stepped down from the job of chief product officer at Yggdrasil, having been in the position for just six months.
McGinley carries a huge amount of experience in the gaming industry, having previously been the CEO of FunFair Games and director of game studios at Entain. He also spent time with RNG Foundry and Casumo.
Neither Smolarek nor McGinley have provided a reason for their departure. Their departures come soon after James Curwen was appointed CEO of Yggdrasil, replacing Bjorn Krantz.
Further Problems for Yggdrasil
In addition to losing two senior members of staff, Yggdrasil was also recently issued with a SEK300,000 fine by the Swedish gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen.
The fine was due to Yggdrasil providing games to an unlicensed website offering its services in the Swedish market. Yggdrasil said that the situation arose due to a breach of contract between itself and a retailer and that the situation has now been resolved.
RELATED TOPICS: Gambling Business
