WAUKEGAN, Ill. & LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Underscoring its focus on customer service and the evolving needs of the marketplace, WMS Industries Inc. (NYSE: WMS), a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of games, gaming content and gaming machines, announced today several management appointments within its domestic commercial sales and marketing organization. Rick Riehm has been promoted to Vice President of Eastern Division Sales, effective immediately, from Executive Director for the Central Atlantic Region and Ron Rivera will join WMS as Vice President of Western Division Sales and National Accounts, effective July 9. In addition, Steve Byrne recently joined WMS as Executive Director of Product Marketing. Riehm, who will be based in WMS’ Chicago technology campus, and Rivera and Byrne, who will be based at the Company’s Las Vegas office, will report to Rob Bone, Senior Vice President of North American Sales and Marketing.

Orrin Edidin, President of WMS, commented on the management appointments, “A primary strategic priority throughout our organization is to strengthen our efforts and focus on customers. Rick, Ron and Steve each have extensive gaming industry experience with demonstrated track records of leadership and success, and bring creative strategic thinking with a sharp focus on understanding customer needs and delivering high value and strong service. With the benefit of their industry experience and leadership, WMS is taking a significant step forward in further strengthening the alignment between our sales and marketing efforts that will support WMS’ initiatives to be a world-class customer centric organization.”

Rick Riehm joined WMS in 2006 as Regional Sales Director for the Central Region and was most recently Executive Director for the Central Atlantic Region, where he led a team of six account executives working with more than 100 casinos located in the Midwest and Northeast. He has more than 25 years of sales customer relationship building experience. Riehm brings his expertise to bear with an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by casino operator customers and how to bring solutions and value to the relationship. Prior to joining WMS Riehm held executive sales and management positions in several companies, most recently with NSK Corporation. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.

Ron Rivera will join WMS following 25 years in senior sales and management positions at International Game Technology (IGT: NYSE). He most recently served as Senior Vice President of U.S. and Canadian Sales for IGT, leading a senior sales team of 18 managers. During his time at IGT, Rivera held positions of increasing management and leadership responsibilities with success in creating and executing sales strategies and strong customer value propositions through collaboration with the product management, marketing and customer service functions. He brings extensive experience in building strategic customer relationships, both at the casino and corporate level to WMS. Rivera has a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Nevada.

Steve Byrne joins WMS with more than 14 years of experience in the gaming industry having most recently served as Director of Slot Performance at Caesars Entertainment (CZR: NASDAQ) where he was primarily responsible for slot product strategy and revenue management at the Company’s thirty-six gaming facilities across North America, and also was the lead contact for all vendor business relationships. As WMS’ Executive Director of Product Marketing, Byrne will organize collaboration between the Company’s Product Management and Sales teams to ensure that sales efforts and marketing resources combine to serve WMS’ customers. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Vanderbilt University.

Rob Bone added, “Growing our range of customer touch points allows WMS to offer greater availability and support to our customers as we work with them on high-return solutions for their gaming equipment needs. Rick, Ron and Steve are all accomplished individuals whose gaming industry experience will provide meaningful benefits to WMS and our customers as we continue to enhance our capabilities to create and execute strong sales and marketing strategies that are best aligned with our customers’ needs.”

About WMS

WMS serves the gaming industry worldwide by designing, manufacturing and marketing games, video and mechanical reel-spinning gaming machines, video lottery terminals and in gaming operations, which places leased participation gaming machines in legal gaming venues. The Company’s online iGaming business develops and markets digital content, products, services and end-to-end solutions that address global online wagering and interactive casual gaming opportunities. WMS is proactively addressing the next stage of casino gaming floor evolution with its WAGE-NET® networked gaming solution, a suite of systems technologies and applications designed to increase customers’ revenue generating capabilities and operational efficiency. More information on WMS can be found at www.wms.com or visit the Company on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning our future business performance, strategy, outlook, plans, products and liquidity. Forward-looking statements may be typically identified by such words as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” and “intend,” among others. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, any or all of our forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Consequently, no forward-looking statements may be guaranteed. Factors which could cause our actual results to differ from expectations include (1) delay or refusal by regulators to approve our new gaming platforms, cabinet designs, game themes and related hardware and software; (2) changes in regulations or regulatory interpretations that may adversely affect existing product placements or future placements; (3) an inability to introduce in a timely manner new games and gaming machines that achieve and maintain market acceptance; (4) a decrease in the desire of casino customers to upgrade gaming machines or allot floor space to leased or participation games, resulting in reduced demand for our products; (5) a reduction in capital spending or interruption in payments by casino customers associated with business weakness or economic uncertainty that adversely affects our customers' ability to make purchases or pay; (6) a greater-than-expected demand for operating leases by customers over outright product sales or sales financing leases that shift revenue recognition from a single period to the term of such operating leases; (7) future costs relating to our planned restructuring and other charges that may be higher than currently estimated, including additional charges related to actions at a later time not presently contemplated; (8) ability to realize in full, or part, the anticipated savings and expense reductions from restructuring and lower staffing; (9) adverse affects on product development, innovation and the ability to retain and attract key personnel following the restructuring and reorganization actions; (10) a reduction in play levels of our participation games by casino patrons, whether due to economic conditions or increased placements of competitive product; (11) inability of suppliers of key components to timely meet our requirements to fulfill customer orders; (12) increased pricing or promotional competitive activity that adversely affects our average selling price or product revenues; (13) a failure to obtain and maintain our gaming licenses and regulatory approvals; (14) failure of customers or players to adapt to the new technologies that we introduce in new product concepts; (15) a software anomaly or fraudulent manipulation of our gaming machines and software; (16) a failure to obtain the right to use or an inability to adapt to rapid development of new technologies; (17) an infringement claim seeking to restrict our use of material technologies; (18) risks of doing business in international markets, including political and economic instability, terrorist activity and foreign currency fluctuations; and (19) the unfavorable outcome of any legal proceedings in which we may be involved from time to time. These factors and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations are more fully described under “Item 1. Business”, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Legal Proceedings” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2011, and our more recent reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.




Source: WMS Industries Inc.