Born for the Industry
Ashley Unga had no choice but to enter the casino business. Her life has been wrapped up in the industry since she was a tyke—going to work with her father for a few hours on Saturday, attending all kinds of fun events on the Las Vegas Strip with both parents: Super Bowl parties, employee-family appreciation events
“It all seemed so vibrant and exciting,” she says. “The energy of the industry and the sense of community it brought to my family made a lasting impression on me.”
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Unga worked as a casino pool lifeguard at 15. “It was my first job in the industry, and I’ve stayed in it since then,” she says.
While attending Utah Valley University on a full-ride soccer scholarship, she majored in business management with an eye on her return to Las Vegas. “I felt it was the best fit for the path I envisioned.”
Unga noted that during her formative years, women in leadership roles often worked in human resources, marketing or hotel management. That observation guided her decision to start her career with the special events team and marketing, first at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino and then Tropicana Las Vegas.
“There’s truly nothing like planning world-class events on the Las Vegas Strip, especially the exact same events I saw my parents enjoy all through my childhood,” says Unga, one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Nevada for 2024.
In her current role as senior director of customer success with Gaming Analytics, Unga manages a customer support team and helps clients maximize the value of her company’s array of products.
“We solve day-to-day business challenges by delivering advanced technology and AI solutions tailored for their properties,” she says of the company she joined in 2021.
Unga has counted on a series of mentors through her various phases in the industry.
She refers to George Haldeman as more than a mentor: a sponsor. “A mentor teaches you from the co-pilot seat; a sponsor puts you in the pilot seat, gives you real opportunities, gives you credit when you are or are not in the room and visibility in meetings I wouldn’t have entered on my own.”
Eric Barbaro has been a steady, supportive friend since her days at Treasure Island casino over a decade ago. Then there’s her father, Drew Skeen, a lifelong guide who offered a voice of reason and unwavering support every step of the way. “A man of the people, deeply committed to helping others grow, and it’s clear how much those around him admire and respect him. He’s set the ultimate example of what true leadership looks like,” she says.
AI is the future, Unga says. Kiran Brahmandam, CEO of Gaming Analytics, founded the company with AI at its core. “We’re not just implementing new technology and AI. We’re educating the industry, helping casino operators understand the value of AI, and then partnering with them to apply it in their daily operations and strategic decisions.
“I envision a future where every department relies on a single, unified system to solve problems, and predict problems before they happen.”
