In an interview for Bloomberg News, CEO of Amaya Inc Rafi Ashkenazi reiterated the company’s willingness to diversify its operations once its internal issues have been resolved. Succeeding former Amaya leader David Baazov in August 2016, Ashkenazi has thus far been working on lowering the company’s long-term debt and putting together a new executive team.
Apparently, his management style has yielded results as the company’s stock has risen by 30% since the change of leadership.
Rafi Ashkenazi has a proven managerial track record in the industry, serving as Chief Operations Officer at Rational Group and Playtech Plc.
According to Ashkenazi, Amaya’s plans for the near future entail minimizing the company’s dependence on its online poker vertical. He hints at the possibility of looking into sports betting and is determined to set an M&A focus for the company in 2017. To this end, Ashkenazi is considering recruiting a Group Strategy Director who would explore the opportunities for development in the sports betting niche.