TJ Matthews has resigned as president and chief executive of leading slot manufacturer International Game Technology. Effective April 1, four-year IGT board member Patti S. Hart will take over as CEO.
Matthews, who cited family reasons for stepping down, will remain as executive chairman of IGT’s board of directors, and will assist Hart in the transition at least until the end of the year.
Matthews joined IGT as CEO in 2003, after the slot-maker acquired Anchor Gaming, where he had previously served as chairman.
Hart has served on IGT’s board of directors since June 2006. She is former chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Systems Inc., and a director for Korn/Ferry International Inc. She also held several executive positions with the Sprint telecommunications firm.
“In Patti, the CEO search committee saw a unique combination of executive-level management experience, an intimate knowledge of IGT through her years of service on our board, and technology sector experience for a gaming industry increasingly characterized by rapidly evolving technology,” Matthews said in a written statement.
IGT also announced that former Treasure Island President Tom Mikulich has been named vice president of MegaJackpots, responsible for all the wide-area progressive systems developed by the company. Mikulich stepped down at Treasure Island when new owner Phil Ruffin bought the hotel from MGM Mirage. Additionally, the company named former Goldman Sachs VP Craig Billings as vice president of corporate finance and investor relations. He most recently served in Goldman’s London office covering the gaming and leisure industries.
