2007 GREAT WOMEN OF GAMING
Proven leader
Jean Venneman
Senior Vice President of Product Development
International Game Technology
IGT Senior Vice President of Product Development Jean Venneman understands the value of mentorship. Her mentor, Maureen Mullarkey, was IGT's first female senior executive and blazed a trail for Venneman and others to use to further their careers. "In her 19 years with the company, she worked her way up within the finance ranks and ultimately held the position of CFO for many years," Venneman says. "I learned from Maureen that it is OK to be tough, decisive and demanding, but also approachable, friendly and feminine. I think some women have the perception that they must act and think like a male to reach the higher levels and Maureen's amazing career is proof that a woman can be successful in a male environment without having to change or abandon who she is in the process."
Venneman has used the lessons learned from her mentor to establish herself as a leader at IGT. Her gaming career began in 1992 when she was hired as a sales executive for IGT-Europe in the Netherlands. In 1996 she relocated to Reno, Nev., and began moving up through the ranks at one of the world's largest gaming manufacturers. She worked as product manager, director of product development, director of marketing and vice president of product management before taking on the role of senior vice president of product development. Promoted to her current position in 2005, she is responsible for IGT's worldwide game development and design strategies and leads a staff of more than 270 in the areas of game design, graphics, sound, game production, product management, Barcrest USA and Wager Works.
Venneman's advice for young professionals looking to take on leadership positions in the gaming industry is to emulate those leaders they admire. "Honesty, integrity, fairness and hard work are some of the first adjectives that come to mind, but successful leadership is so much more than that," she says. "The leaders I admire most and try to emulate are those who have the ability to inspire me to want to be better and do better. They treat everyone with humility and respect and genuinely have concern for those they interact with. A true leader puts her people first, ensures they get the credit when a job is done well, protects them if they are being unfairly criticized, and is unafraid to watch them grow and move on to bigger and better things.
"I have reported to many people in my 15 years at IGT. When I think of the bosses whom I admired the most, they … had something in common. They all saw my potential long before I did. They believed in me, they encouraged and sometimes challenged me to become the person that I am today and did not settle for less."
With the gaming industry expanding worldwide and the number of female professionals at an all-time high, the stage is set for a true and widespread advancement of women in the industry. "The opportunities in our growing gaming industry are plentiful," Venneman says. "I hope the many organizations in gaming continue to put the best person in the job, and that more and more women find the confidence to realize that they are the best person and put themselves out there for consideration when the opportunity for a more challenging and higher position arises. I hope that an increasing number of women realize that they have good ideas and aren't afraid to share them."
Copyright 2011, Great Women of Gaming. All rights reserved.
