Why ‘All The Rumors Are True’ at Aristocrat

Often, when people receive mentorship or training opportunities, they are compelled to pay it forward, to help others improve their comprehension and become more successful. 

The sentiment that one good deed deserves another feels embedded at Aristocrat, a global gaming company with a tech-forward product portfolio that incorporates robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Such is the case for Una Fox, who has spent the last 20 years of her career in a variety of roles in and around the key areas of digital transformation and data at entertainment and technology companies, including Disney. On her journey, she was supported by mentors and managers, until finally her career progression landed her in executive data and analytics roles. Now, she is spearheading these initiatives at an enterprise scale as the new chief global data and analytics officer at Aristocrat. 

Not only is Fox on a mission to build out a data and analytics team, but her goal is to improve data literacy at every level across the company and transform it into a truly data-driven organization.

“Aristocrat already has this in pockets, but I’m going to bring that together from an enterprise perspective,” said Fox. “Data is a key component of digital transformation.” 

Fox’s vision includes enterprise training around reporting and analytics tools that people can use in their jobs every day. “There will be education at various tiers, from the executive level to drive strategy, but also a broader education for employees to build their own reports or do data discovery. We need to give people tools so that when they want answers to questions, they can find them,” said Fox.

 

 

Fox isn’t the only woman in tech leadership looking to educate her cohorts at the company. One of Angela Segovia’s primary tasks at Aristocrat is to provide clarity around industry regulations, an especially critical duty considering the ever-changing nature of legislation. According to Segovia, her job is “to run the business of technology” as the chief of staff to the chief technology officer. 

Beyond sharing knowledge, Segovia tapped into plenty of resources to reach her current level of success. She started as a senior product manager in 2020 and utilized leadership training and tuition reimbursement benefits at Aristocrat to help level up. 

In addition to policy comprehension, this self-proclaimed “overcaffeinated parent of two teenagers” is responsible for ensuring the company follows current governance, establishing new processes around emerging technology, offering general gaming industry insights and providing visibility into Aristocrat.

Those are some tall orders. So, what keeps Segovia at Aristocrat? 

“As Lizzo says: ’All the rumors are true.’ The culture at Aristocrat is even better than what I had heard before joining,” said Segovia. 

Curious what that means? So were we. Built In connected with these two tech leaders for more insights into life at Aristocrat.

 

 

What drew you to Aristocrat, and what keeps you there?

Segovia: Aristocrat has a stellar reputation in the gaming industry as not only a leader in the products and services they provide, but also their inclusive and progressive culture. Working for an industry leader is the goal of most professionals, but for me it was the “work hard, play hard” attitude and culture of recognition and respect that drew me to Aristocrat.

I am constantly challenged in a good way, given growth opportunities that exceed my expectations and treated with respect. Also, I always have a seat at the table.

Fox: What first attracted me to the company was that it is a global organization, and I consider myself a global citizen. I enjoy working for a company with an international mindset that includes diverse communities. Secondly, in the recruiting process, I learned that the leadership team has very high aspirations for growth, and they know exactly where they want to go. They have done their work on strategy and know their market well. Thirdly, the recruitment process was full of people who were open and confident, and who respected talent. I felt that by joining I would have the opportunity to bring the best of my skills. I could tell from those conversations that they were really listening and responding in a way that showed it was meaningful to them. It hit all the right chords, and what I was saying resonated with them. They felt I could bring something they didn’t have to the company. 

 

“The leadership team has very high aspirations for growth, and they know exactly where they want to go.” 

 

 

Tell me about the career development you’ve been involved with at Aristocrat. 

Segovia: Aristocrat offers corporate-led professional development and fully supports career development opportunities that employees identify on their own. With my first promotion I was seated in a months-long, Aristocrat-initiated leadership program. In addition, I have identified other programs and classes on my own, such as the iGaming program at University of Nevada Las Vegas, of which Aristocrat covered the costs and helped me find time to attend.

I learned new ways to lead a team, gained a better understanding of the way Aristocrat works, and have benefited from expert insights inside and outside of the gaming industry. My career has been enhanced immensely through the development opportunities here. I am a happier employee, a more dedicated leader and an all-around better person.

 

“My career has been enhanced immensely through the development opportunities here. I am a happier employee, a more dedicated leader and an all-around better person.” 

 

 

Why is professional development important? 

Segovia: I feel very strongly that investment in personal and professional growth makes for a happier and more productive employee. Aristocrat really cares about the whole person and how you treat other people, and the leadership demonstrates this on a daily basis. A company that wants to see employees succeed — not just for the financial benefit of the company, but for the benefit it accrues to communities — creates a distinct working environment that every company should aspire to.

Fox: How can your life have meaning if you are just doing the same activity over and over again? That leads to bad morale and high attrition. A strong company will have vision, mission, guiding principles, strong ethics and robust career training all tied together. That company will have a very tight, dedicated, high-morale workforce. That drives productivity and results. It also shows up as a higher valuation for the company. It ultimately comes down to individual success, so I believe very strongly those things are connected because I’ve seen that come to life. 

I’ve received incredible support as a woman in technology from leaders and managers who have mentored me, and many times I’ve actually had all-female teams in the data space. Diversity is very important to me, not just of gender, but of thought. Encouraging women to pursue careers in tech is very important to me. 

 

What is your favorite aspect of the culture at Aristocrat, and how do employees connect? 

Segovia: I enjoy the inclusive nature of our culture. It’s real and not a façade, and every single employee is valued. There is an actual, factual open-door policy with all of the leadership. There are opportunities to try new things and get the guidance from leadership you need to succeed. 

Aristocrat walks the walk. When leaders say, “Take care of yourself and your families,” they mean it and provide the support you need to take action. There is no shortage of authenticity across the board, and you will always have someone advocating for your growth. 

 

“There is no shortage of authenticity across the board, and you will always have someone advocating for your growth.”  

 

Fox: We have regular all-hands meetings; there are skip-level meetings. There are a lot of tools to help people connect and exchange messages. We have dynamic leadership and an active diary of events to keep people engaged with ongoing dialogues. Recently we held an International Women’s Day event where there were several external speakers, and another event where a speaker came to discuss environmental and social governance, which was fascinating. 

 

Looking at the larger industry, what does Aristocrat have to offer employees?

Fox: Gaming in the U.S. is a high-growth space, and there are a lot of changes happening in regard to legislation and regulatory policies. There is a big market opening for digital gaming with sports betting, online lotteries and games. It’s also an interesting space; there’s a lot of opportunity for people who come from digital media or entertainment or have worked at digital companies who understand the space. 

As for the company itself, Aristocrat offers a very flexible remote-work policy. That’s important to a lot of people, and it was certainly important to me. 

This is a great global organization with a strong mission and vision that is open to learning. It’s an exciting time to be here. 

 

What would you say to someone considering a career at Aristocrat?

Segovia: Do it! And how can I help you do that?