Octoplay has appointed Ralitsa Georgieva as chief executive to succeed Carl Ejlertsson, who will remain with the company to focus on the creative and strategic side of the business.
Georgieva has served as Octoplay’s director of business development since February 2023 and takes over in March as CEO, replacing Ejlertsson who has held the role for three years.
“Octoplay started in October 2022 with a small team and a lot of conviction,” said Ejlertsson in a statement on LinkedIn. “Three years on, that conviction has paid off. Fifteen active licences across Europe and North America, more than one new regulated market every quarter since we launched, over 200 games, and tier-one operator partnerships driven by a shared ambition to innovate.
“Now it’s time for the next chapter. After three years as CEO, I’ve decided to step out of the role to focus on the creative and strategic side of the business. Octoplay has reached a stage where execution, commercial scale, and operational leadership are paramount, and the company now requires a CEO whose focus is fully aligned with that mission.”
Commenting on the appointment of Georgieva as CEO, Ejlertsson said: “Rali has been a huge part of the journey that brought us here. Her integrity, commercial instinct, and leadership have shaped Octoplay in ways that go far beyond any title.
“Since joining, she’s been the driving force behind our commercial expansion, from our first European partnerships to our US market entry. There’s no one better suited to lead Octoplay into its next chapter, and I have complete confidence in her as CEO.”
Alongside this transition, Ejlertsson also unveiled Octoplay’s new leadership team “that reflects the maturity and ambition of the company we’ve built together.”
Jack Bailey has been brought in as commercial director, joining Octoplay from Light & Wonder’s iGaming division, while Conor Leavey, who has advised the supplier since September, is stepping in full-time as chief product officer.
In addition, Martina Borg Stevens is being promoted to chief legal officer, and Nicola Vella is being promoted to chief finance officer.
“These are people who’ve been instrumental in building Octoplay from day one, and people we’ve brought in because they share our ambition,” Ejlertsson added. “The structure we’re putting in place isn’t about change for its own sake. It’s about making sure we have the right team in the right seats for what comes next.
“To everyone who’s been part of this journey so far: thank you. I’m not going anywhere. I’m just getting back to doing what I love most.”
Commenting on her appointment as CEO, Georgieva said: “Three years of hard work from an incredible team brought us here. The foundation is strong, and the focus now is execution and growth. I appreciate the trust placed in me to lead the next phase, and I’ll continue to work closely with Carl as we push the company forward.”
Georgieva joined Octoplay from live casino provider Bombay Group, where she was head of commercials. Prior to that she was commercial lead manager at Evolution following its acquisition of Red Tiger, where she worked with Ejlertsson.