Yggdrasil, a leading provider of superior online gaming solutions, proudly announces the appointment of Alex Haywood as the new managing director of its Polish entity.

With a distinguished career spanning over 20 years, Haywood brings a wealth of expertise to lead Yggdrasil’s technological advancement.

“I am thrilled to welcome Alex Haywood to the Yggdrasil team,” said James Curwen, CEO of Yggdrasil.

“His impressive track record, from his key roles at Evolution Gaming, Interactive Gaming Group, to his most recent position at Liquid Barcodes, highlights his profound understanding of the gaming landscape and his unmatched ability to drive innovation and change.

“With his appointment, we are poised to reach even greater heights in innovation and technological prowess.”

As part of its corporate evolution, Yggdrasil has implemented a strategic restructuring, resulting in a necessary reduction of roles within the organisation.

Simultaneously, the company announces that Mark McGinley will move into the role of chief product officer from his current position as chief gaming officer.

In his new role, McGinley will lead the company’s innovative games portfolio and Masters Studio Programme.

“We extend our gratitude to our departing senior leaders for their dedication and commitment to Yggdrasil. As we navigate this transformative phase, we remain dedicated to supporting our employees through this period of change,” added Curwen.

Yggdrasil passionately reaffirms its dedication to delivering exceptional gaming products and experiences. Under Curwen’s leadership, the company is resolute in fostering a culture of relentless innovation and adaptability within the organization.

The appointment of Alex Haywood symbolizes the company’s unwavering commitment to achieving its strategic goals and reinforcing its position as an industry trailblazer.

Games developer Yggdrasil has named James Curwen as its incoming CEO.

The transition in leadership comes with current CEO Bjorn Krantz set to step down from his role.

The appointment will take effect from 1 October 2023, with Krantz actively facilitating a smooth handover until his departure at the end of September.

Curwen (pictured), who currently holds the position of chief online officer at Greek operator OPAP, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role as Yggdrasil CEO.

With a robust background spanning 30 years in both online and land-based gambling, Curwen has held executive positions at companies including William Hill, Superbet, Ladbrokes, and The Ritz Casino.

As Krantz transitions out of his role, he expressed confidence in Curwen’s ability to lead Yggdrasil into the next phase of development.

Krantz noted: “Since day one, my work with Yggdrasil has been focused on transformation, and as the company now enters the next phase of its global developments, it’s time for me to hand over the reins.

“James Curwen is an industry veteran; he will bring invaluable experience and leadership to the company as it enters the next phase of driving sustainable, profitable growth. It’s his time to lead.”

Yggdrasil chairman Itai Frieberger shared the board’s excitement about the appointment, adding: “We believe James possesses the skills and experience to elevate the business to new heights.”

Frieberger also extended gratitude to Krantz for his dedicated service over the past four years at Yggdrasil.

Krantz joined Yggdrasil in 2009, initially as head of publishing, before progressing to chief of global market operations. He was subsequently appointed CEO in April 2022.

Yggdrasil was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Sweden. The company also has offices in Malta, Poland and Gibraltar.

Gaming studio and aggregator Yggdrasil has appointed Björn Krantz as its new chief executive, effective immediately.

Krantz has been promoted from his latest position as chief of global market operations after originally joining the company as head of the publishing division in January 2020.

Prior to those roles, Krantz spent more than a decade working with NetEnt, including over two years as the COO.

Krantz takes over the top job from his friend and colleague – company founder Fredrik Elmqvist – who today hands over responsibilities as CEO for a seat on the board. 

“Björn is well known to the industry as his delivery track record is amazing and he has been a successful executive leader in rapid global growth environments for a very long time,” Elmqvist said. 

“In the past two years, Björn has been heavily involved in shaping and building Yggdrasil’s global market operations, as well as being a key contributor to the company’s growth strategy and execution planning.

“The time is now ripe to execute on this transition and it’s a great day for the board, myself, and the entire company to see Björn take over the helm. I am confident that he will do great in propelling the business forward and take it to the next level. 

“I will have the pleasure to continue working with Björn through a more active board assignment, and will also provide my advisory knowledge in the best possible way to support the continued success of the company and its strategy,” he added. 

Yggdrasil CEO Björn Krantz: “I have enormous respect for the history, the company legacy and its awesome culture.”

Krantz joined Yggdrasil at a pivotal time as the company diversified outside of slots development and into aggregation, publishing and white-label contract agreements.

This allowed Yggdrasil customers in global markets to licence any, or all elements, of the firm’s proprietary gaming ecosystem, including its content portfolio, gamification and affiliate tools or game development kit.

Commenting on the promotion, Krantz added: “It’s with great humbleness I am taking over as CEO after Fredrik. I have enormous respect for the history, the company legacy and its awesome culture.

“It’s all about the people and building strong and winning teams, and it’s a great pleasure for me to have such talented and motivated people around me every single day.

“We have a clear strategy, and together with the rest of the management team I look forward to delivering on our global growth ambitions, and to further strengthen our position as the leading iGaming publisher and premium global iGaming solutions provider.

“It will be a pleasure for me to continue working with Fredrik as a close ally and use him as a strategic soundboard as we enter the next phase of the company strategy implementation.”