Zona de Azar USA – “10 Women Rising in Gaming”, Today: Erica Kosemund
USA.- January 30th 2023 www.zonadeazar.com Cassie Stratford started working in the gaming industry in 2012. Over those 11 years, Stratford, senior vice President, legal operations and compliance at Boyd Gaming, has noticed a perceptible difference in the makeup of industry personnel. “Even at the outset of my career, I felt very positive,” says Stratford, who also serves as president of the advocacy group Global Gaming Women. “But I do feel like I’m seeing a lot more women rise to executive levels.”
Women are increasingly prevailing as decision-makers and vital contributors to their companies. They have diverse backgrounds and hail from Alaska, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, and points in between. And they tend to be younger, well-educated, and determined to not only to chart careers, but significantly impact the industry.
Stratford and Global Gaming Women Association Director Kelly Hatch were asked to help select ten women under 40 who are shattering stereotypes in the gaming industry.
CDC Gaming Reports asked each participant how they got their start in gaming, their initial and current impressions of the industry, and where they’re headed.
Today: Erica Kosemund
Hometown: Paris, Arkansas
Current position: Senior Director Gaming Brand & Partnership at Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Did you apply for work in other industries? Do you think it was easier to find a job in gaming than other career paths?
I have dabbled in other industries, but once I found a home in gaming, it has given endless opportunities. I don’t know if I would say easier, but I would say that within gaming, there are so many industries that you can touch to work in and explore. If you have an interest in other avenues, in a lot of cases you can find that within the gaming industry.
What do you like about working in gaming?
The constant evolution and change and the what’s next aspect. Gaming is the crossroads between customer service and technology, and you must continue to develop excellence in both to stay relevant. There has never been a time where I have felt I was not able to continue to grow and explore and challenge myself.
Did anything surprise you about the industry when you first started?
Growing up in Arkansas I had very little visibility into gaming and Native American culture. What was most surprising to me was the way in which many Tribal nations succeeded in gaming, with the purpose of providing growth and prosperity to their tribal people, and by doing so, changed many communities and provided hundreds of thousands of opportunities.
Were you familiar with gambling before landing a job in the industry?
Very minimally.
What were your thoughts about it before starting to work in gaming? Has your impression of the industry changed at all?
I thought ‘I’ll just do this for a little bit to wrap up college and then go off to the next thing.’ I thought I would want to work in other industries like entertainment and agency work. Once I got in and started discovering all gaming had to offer, I didn’t have to consider leaving, nor did I want to.
Of course, like peeling back an onion, I knew very little and only had a small understanding of all gaming was involved in as an industry at the beginning. Now I have the opportunity to see that landscape in a much different way.
Can you envision making a career in the gaming industry? What are your long-term goals?
I’m going into my 17th year in the gaming industry. My hope is that as it continues to evolve and change, that I do as well and provide value, to continue to grow and give back to an industry and the people within it that have done the same for me. Also, to continue to push the limit on what we can do; I love dreaming about what’s next and how I can expand and challenge myself to push the envelope into what can be done.
Edited by: @MaiaDigital www.zonadeazar.com
