23 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 growth of Loto-Québec. When Lynne started with LotoQuébec in 1985, there were only around ten professional women out of the then-400 employees. When she joined the senior management team in 1996 she was the only woman. Today women play an important role in the leadership of the company, with nine out of twelve members of the Board of Directors being women. More importantly, a significant percentage of Loto-Québec’s managerial and professional positions are today held by women. The conscious effort to diversify Loto-Québec will be among Lynne Roiter’s lasting legacies. On May 31, 2021, Lynne Roiter stepped down from her position as President and CEO of Loto-Québec. Lynne continues to serve as the Secretary General of the World Lottery Association. n PGRI Introduction: Michelle Carinci has served as the CEO of Lottotech, the operator of the National Lottery of Mauritius, since 2011; and CEO of the Atlantic Lottery in Canada between 2001 and 2011. Michelle started her career almost fifty years ago as one of Guy Simonis’ first hires. Guy and Michelle worked together for 25 years and remained close until his passing. I asked Michelle to share with us her memories of Guy as friend, mentor, and industry icon. Michelle Carinci: Remembering Guy Simonis ... Guy and Michelle My story with this Guy, evolved over 47 years as an employee, student, mentee, collaborator, colleague and friend. Guy’s achievements and contributions are documented and recognized by the Lottery Industry to which he dedicated his life. When Guy passed, I began to look beyond what he had accomplished and focused on what motivated him. I believe Guy became passionate at a very early stage in his lottery career to create an international lottery community, a global network that connected us all. An incredibly intelligent man, Guy was the consummate innovator, facilitator, entertainer, teacher and team builder. He stood on the shoulders of the European lottery experts when he began to develop the lottery business in Manitoba leading to the first multi-jurisdictional lottery in North America, the Western Canada Lottery Foundation. I was one among many who was fortunate to be able to stand on his shoulders throughout my lottery and gaming journey. The Team Builder… In 1975, crammed into a small studio apartment that we called our office in downtown Winnipeg, Guy’s four young students, including yours truly, began our journey learning about games of chance, skill and perceived skill. During this period I was exposed to Guy’s natural ability and desire to build and bond high performance teams. He created regular weekend social events – car rallies in the middle of summer, foot rallies in the middle of winter, annual Jeu de Boules (Bocci) tournaments hosted by the Simonis family at their summer cottage and competitive interdepartmental sporting competitions. These fun filled social and competitive events included our key service providers and respective families. Over the years the lottery team grew as Guy extended invitations to our Interprovincial Lottery Corporation (ILC) colleagues and our NASPL neighbors to the south. Bringing the lottery community together regularly on a social level provided us with the opportunity to become as passionate about playing together as we were working together, ultimately creating a deeper connection and understanding of each other. Guy expanded his team building and inclusion efforts onto the world stage in 1987 as the first North American lottery to host the international Intertoto conference which was held in Vancouver. He knew Canada facilitated easier
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