Continent 8 has welcomed a new CEO after 28 years, with tech veteran Mike Small replacing Michael Tobin who will transition to the role of chairman.
Tobin founded Continent 8 in 1998, opening the business’s first data centre in Montreal. The company initially served clients in finance before pivoting to, and specialising in, igaming.
The supplier became incorporated in the Isle of Man in 2006 and opened in Gibraltar and Malta in 2011, before expanding into North America in 2014.
Before joining Continent 8, Small served as president of the North American arm of digital engineering consultancy Akkodis from November 2021 onwards.
Prior to Akkodis, Small held the title of CEO Americas at customer services outsourcing company Sitel.
Small has also held senior leadership positions at IBM, IT consulting firm Capgemini, Hewlett Packard and business process outsourcing specialists VXI Global Solutions.
Prior to his appointment, Small also served as a strategic board advisor to Continent 8 for the past year.
The supplier said its new CEO would focus on the expansion of its global presence and “advancing” its portfolio.
His remit will centre around “ strengthening customer partnerships, and advancing its portfolio of infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, and AI-enabled technology solutions”.
Continent 8 said Small played a key role in Akkodis’s AI strategy to help customers “accelerate innovation, improve operational performance and prepare for the future of work”.
The business has over 200 employees worldwide and counts BetMGM, FanDuel and DraftKings among its operator partners.
Regarding the transition, Tobin said: “After 28 remarkable years leading Continent 8, I am incredibly proud of what our team has built and achieved.
“This transition has been thoughtfully planned, and I have complete confidence in Mike’s ability to lead the company into its next chapter.
“His experience in scaling global technology businesses and his deep understanding of our customers and strategy makes him the ideal leader to build on the strong foundation we have created.”
Small added: “Continent 8 has built an exceptional reputation for delivering mission-critical technology solutions to customers operating in highly regulated and latency-sensitive environments.
“Having worked closely with the company over the 12 months, I have seen first-hand the strength of the business, the talent of our people, and the opportunities ahead.
“I look forward to working with our team to deepen customer partnerships, accelerate innovation, and continue delivering the secure, resilient and high-performance solutions our customers depend on.”
In another recent supplier leadership shift, SYNOT promoted its CFO to a new role of group CEO in a move to strengthen its “executive management structure”.
Arnold Ash is EGR’s executive recruitment partner. It supports ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.
The post Continent 8 founder and CEO steps down after 28 years amid leadership shake-up first appeared on EGR Intel.
Michael Tobin hands over reins to Mike Small and becomes chairman as business readies itself for global expansion
The post Continent 8 founder and CEO steps down after 28 years amid leadership shake-up first appeared on EGR Intel.