2004 GREAT WOMEN OF GAMING
Proven leader

Courtney Muller

Industry Vice President
Reed Exhibitions

 

"I will never forget something my father told me at the beginning of my career," says Courtney Muller. "He said, 'Don't ever run from a difficult or challenging situation; those are where you find your greatest opportunity.' They were words that I still heed today in my career."

That career, which includes senior-level positions at Internet World Events and BookExpo America, is perhaps most notable for her work on the annual Global Gaming Expo (G2E). Last year, the event featured 770 exhibitors, over 1,000 new products and services, and attendance that rose 20 percent over the previous year. Overall, seminar attendance at G2E has increased by 75 percent since the show launched in 2001.

This success is, at least in part, the result of Muller's focus on customer service. "My father and mother both taught me a great sense of responsibility for a job well done, and the importance of compassion for people," she says. It's also the result of her background; Muller lived in eight states before she was 14 years old. "Because of all of those moves, I had to learn to adapt to different situations, different people and honestly, different 'cultures' very quickly," she says. "That life experience has served me very well in my career, particularly in the event management business. Here, you must be able to transact with many different constituents—all with differing and sometimes opposing desires and needs."

Muller has a boundless commitment to people. She stresses proactivity among staff members in solving problems; she is proactive among her staff, as well. "In business, it's not about companies doing business with companies," she says. "It's about people doing business with people. If you can work well with people, and understand and care about their desires and needs, you can accomplish almost anything."

When the subject changes to women in gaming, Muller actually sees her gender as being a help rather than a hindrance. "I think being a woman in this industry is somewhat of an advantage precisely because it is a male-dominated industry," says Muller. "It is because of that fact that women do stand out when they are in leadership roles. Since my arrival in the gaming industry and my introduction to its people, I have been shown nothing but respect."

Still, having women properly represented in the gaming industry is something that Muller clearly thinks about. In true Courtney Muller fashion, she is also proactive about it. "I once asked the CEO of my division of Reed why he didn't have any women reporting directly to him," she says. "He answered by saying that he would welcome the opportunity and that in fact, having a woman on his board would bring a different dynamic and a different kind of interaction among board members that could be very valuable. I would like to think that many company leaders share this view and would welcome women into leadership roles, no matter what the industry."

Her thoughts on this expand to a global view, as well. "I'm sure gaming will eventually evolve to reflect other industries that have more women in leadership roles," says Muller. "While it will probably remain male-dominated for quite some time, I would anticipate seeing more women going up the ranks."

In all, Muller is characteristically lighthearted about her role as a woman in gaming—" If I knew how to play golf, I wouldn't see any disadvantage at all!" she says— and in fact, she sees it being much the same as in other pursuits. "It requires the same skills that are valued anywhere," says Muller. "Leadership, decisiveness and—in a woman's case—a thick skin."


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