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Mon, March 28, 2011
WMS Names Fred Gabbard to New Post of Senior Vice President of Product Development Operations
WAUKEGAN, Ill.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--WMS Industries Inc. (NYSE:WMS) announced today that Fred M. Gabbard, 50, has been named to the new position of Senior Vice President of Product Development Operations, effective immediately. Gabbard brings more than 25 years of leadership and expertise in new product development process management and consumer technology product and account management. As Senior Vice President of Product Development Operations, Gabbard will oversee product management and resource prioritization, new product introductions, product life cycle management and quality across the organization. He will report to Orrin J. Edidin, President of WMS, and serve on the Companya™s Executive Committee and Strategy and Innovation Committee.
Gabbard joins WMS following more than 26 years with Motorola, most recently as Vice President of Product Management for Wireless Networks where he had overall product management responsibilities for the Companya™s wireless networks including LTE, CDMA, EV-DO, GSM and UMTS, messaging products and switching. In this role, he was responsible for leading product strategy and portfolio development through close collaboration with key customers and regional account teams. Gabbard joined Motorola in 1987 and throughout his career he has held positions of increasing responsibility in Systems Engineering, Account Management and various technical and business management functions.
Orrin J. Edidin, President of WMS said, aFred brings to WMS an impressive track record of accomplishment in building a consumer product focused development management organization. His depth of experience in product development management complements the highly creative and innovative talents that exist in WMSa™ development and process excellence groups. We believe Fred can quickly contribute to maximizing our return on investment of new development projects, ensuring that quality is built into the design stages of new products and effectively managing the life cycle of our product portfolio.
aIn addition, Fred possesses an ideal skill set to further improve WMSa™ ability to accelerate the introduction of new innovative products and technologies including our diverse and expanding portfolio of Networked Gaming solutions. He will also strengthen our ability to capitalize on our entrance into new markets and new distribution channels, along with better coordinating the transition of new product concepts from the R&D phase through development, regulatory approvals, manufacturing and fulfillment.a
Fred Gabbard commented on his appointment, aI am excited to be joining a company that has clearly established itself as an industry leader in innovation and the development of imaginative player-centric games and experiences that drive high returns for casino operators. WMS is passionate about its creativity and innovation with a purpose, and this has allowed the Company to develop exciting, differentiated games that consistently elevate entertainment experiences for slot players. I look forward to working with Orrin and the entire WMS team as we continue on the leadership path for the evolution of entertainment experiences on the casino floor.a
Gabbard holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and an Executive MBA from Northwestern University.
About WMS Industries
WMS is engaged in serving the gaming industry worldwide by designing, manufacturing and marketing video and reel-spinning gaming machines, video lottery terminals, and in gaming operations, which consists of the placement of leased participation gaming machines in legal gaming venues. WMS is proactively addressing the next stage of casino gaming floor evolution with its WAGE-NET® networked gaming solution, a suite of system technologies and applications designed to increase the revenue generating capabilities and operational efficiency. More information on WMS can be found at [ www.wms.com ] or visit the Company on [ Facebook ], [ Twitter ] or [ YouTube ].