On Tuesday May 12, the Mishcon de Reya will host the AI Gaming Forum – and the following speakers will be either participating on our panels or giving presentations at our event. Please download the AIGF programme here for the event details.
Director of AI & Intelligent Automation, Evoke
Kanda Kumar is Director of AI at evoke plc (William Hill, 888, Mr Green and Winner.ro).
He leads the company’s AI strategy and delivery, building an AI Centre of Excellence and scaling AI and Intelligent Automations across customer operations, trading, commercial and personalization.
His focus is turning AI into measurable outcomes through production-grade deployment, robust governance and adoption in regulated environments.
In 2025, he built the AI CoE from the scratch and deployed a number of AI solutions in production generating £30m in EBITDA.
Kanda is also driving early adoption of several Agentic AI technologies and fundamentally shifting how the business operates through agentic AI, reinventing processes and operating models to move beyond traditional application-led workflows toward a “beehive” model, where humans and AI agents coordinate through an orchestrator to deliver outcomes end-to-end.
He brings a wealth of expertise from over 18 years driving large-scale AI and Intelligent Automation transformation at Ericsson.
Jeffrey is a passionate and visionary leader who drives strategic growth, innovation and value creation. As a Venture Partner at Dreamcraft Ventures, Strategic Advisor, and Angel Investor, he leverages his extensive experience and global network to identify, evaluate, and support promising businesses. His education is in economics and journalism, but he has nurtured gaming and fintech startups and scale-ups for more than 20 years.
Throughout his career, Jeffrey has built and launched leading global digital and retail gaming businesses for DraftKings, PokerStars, PartyPoker, bwin, the World Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour & European Poker Tour. He has successfully entered and expanded into new markets, created and executed public policy initiatives and growth marketing strategies, fixed ailing B2B businesses, developed and launched new B2C products and platforms, and managed complex regulatory and operational challenges.
His mission is to contribute to the advancement and transformation of the gaming and fintech industries by supporting and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. Jeffrey says he is always eager to learn, collaborate, and share insights and perspectives with others who share his passion for rabid creative ideation.
CEO, WiseWager
Rohini Sardana is a strategic advisor and investor with 20+ years across sports, esports, and iGaming. Formerly in senior roles at Pinnacle Solution, SIS, and Inspired Gaming Group, she brings a commercial perspective to AI implementation, focusing on where it delivers measurable operational value versus where claims outpace reality. She specialises in helping operators separate genuine AI innovation from vendor hype.
Simon Spyer, Founder – Data Agents
Simon Spyer is the founder of Data Agents and a specialist in applying AI and first-party data to customer marketing in highly regulated industries. He has worked extensively with gaming and media brands including Ladrokes, Betsson, PokerStars and Sun Bingo, focusing on player acquisition, CRM, retention and lifetime value at scale.
With over 20 years’ experience leading data-driven marketing and transformation across brands and agencies, Simon is known for translating AI ambition into practical, deployable systems that deliver measurable commercial impact. His work sits at the intersection of regulation, performance marketing and customer trust, helping gaming operators use data and AI to drive growth without increasing risk.
Simon speaks frequently on how gaming brands can move beyond pilots and hype to embed AI into real customer journeys, improving decision-making speed, marketing efficiency and long-term player value.
Chief Commercial Officer, ESA Games
Thomas Smallwood is a seasoned iGaming specialist and leader with extensive experience in driving growth and innovation across gaming sectors. He currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer at ESA Gaming.
Thomas has been instrumental in championing AI-enabled tools like OpenSlots, a no-code game builder designed to empower operators and aggregators to accelerate content creation and bespoke releases.
Prior to his current role, Thomas has held C-level roles in the industry as well as founding and leading ventures in the gaming technology space, blending deep industry insight with entrepreneurial drive.
Thomas combines commercial acumen with a passion for innovation, helping shape the future of iGaming content delivery and operator engagement across regulated markets.
CEO, Realms Group
Vlastimil Venclík is the CEO and co-founder of Realms Group, a builder of next-generation digital ventures at the intersection of entertainment, AI, and scalable technology. In his role with Realms Group he leads ValkaAI, a new venture focused on the development of emotionally intelligent content and personalized video experiences that bridge human expression with machine creativity.
Before Realms Group and ValkaAI, Vlastimil founded Oddin.gg, the B2B esports technology provider that has become one of the fastest-growing startups in Central Europe. Under his leadership, Oddin’s low-latency odds-feed, risk-management tools and esports betting infrastructure have been adopted globally by operators looking to serve the booming esports audience.
With a background in cybernetics, AI, and software development, Vlastimil has built a career turning complex technologies into businesses that scale globally.
Max Tesla is the CEO and co-founder of Blask, an AI-powered market analytics platform for the iGaming industry. With over 12 years of experience in technology, business growth, and data analytics, he founded Blask to transform how companies access and apply market intelligence.
In just one year since its public launch, Blask has earned three industry awards, secured key partnerships with Sportingtech and BC Game, and is backed by Yolo Investment and Oakvale Capital. Under Max’s leadership, Blask introduced innovative tools like the Blask Index, APS, and CEB, helping operators gain a true competitive advantage in a fast-changing market.
Partner, DTO
With over two decades in the gaming and tech space, Kelly is well-versed across gaming, ESG and investment sectors. She has a proven track record of bringing people together to build strong and purpose-led businesses and a wealth of expertise in commercial strategy, leadership, marketing, and business development. A multi-award-winning leader of change and cultural growth, Kelly co-founded All-in Diversity Project in 2017 and currently serves as co-founder of Defy the Odds, a platform designed to create pathways for all entrepreneurs, ensuring they have the resources and networks necessary to succeed.
CEO, SQR
Tech founder. Cyber CEO. Identity innovator. With an expansive background in telecoms, from building a mobile network operator from scratch to co-founding an internet exchange, she is now on a mission to make the world a safer place through efficient and inclusive identity infrastructure. Under her leadership, SQR has scaled rapidly from servicing SMEs to delivering for governments, securing major investment, and assembling a world-class team to tackle one of society’s most urgent challenges.
Head of Business Development, Mindway. ai
Paula Murphy has worked with the Gambling industry for over 9 years. As Head of Business Development at Mindway AI, she is focused on helping operators meet their legislative requirements and enhance player protection. Prior to joining Mindway AI, Paula was the Founder of specialised compliance and safer gambling information provider, KnowNow Ltd and Managing Director at Wilmington PLC’s legal division. She has a vast industry network and a deep understanding of challenges faced by operators in this space. She is passionate about helping operators boost player protection through early detection and intervention. Paula was recently named Woman of the Year at the 2025 European Casino Awards. She also featured in Hipther’s list of the 50 best speakers of 2024 and 2025.
Chief Revenue Officer at Aibly | Speaker on the Future of Work
Jim is a cricket fan, dad, runner and reader. He recharges by being around interesting individuals and he is motivated by helping organisations and their leaders move forwards at pace. Jim is also a Consultant, Business Leader and Entrepreneur. He has spent 20 years building, buying, scaling and selling businesses.
Jim spends his days diving into conversations about the future of work, high-performing teams, and the fascinating chemistry between humans and AI agents.
Chief Revenue Officer at Aibly: Jim is helping shape the next generation of AI-augmented workspaces, where people and agents don’t just coexist—they collaborate. Whether he’s unpacking the science of great teams or exploring how AI agents can enhance human potential, Jim’s mission is simple: help organisations thrive in a world that’s changing fast (and make sure we have fun while doing it).
