Geoff Freeman’s absence from the gaming industry lasted roughly three months.
The former CEO of the American Gaming Association was appointed to the AGS board as an independent director, the gaming equipment supplier announced Friday.
Freeman, who stepped down from his role with the AGA in August, is now CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, a Washington D.C.-based trade organization that represents the $2.1 trillion food, beverage, and consumer products industry.
“Not only does (Geoff) have a proven track record of effecting significant positive change in our industry, he is a recognized and respected business leader who brings deep strategic, operational, and market development experiences that span across multiple industries,” said AGS CEO David Lopez said in a statement.
Lopez, toward the end of his prepared remarks during AGS’s third quarter earnings conference call Thursday, let it slip that Freeman would join the company’s board.
“Geoff is an extraordinary executive and a great cultural fit who brings a new perspective to our board and will be invaluable to the continued growth and success of AGS,” Lopez said.
One of Freeman’s last public speaking appearances was at the AGS-sponsored GameON Customer Summit at the Pechanga Casino Resort in Temecula, California in June.
“Having worked closely with David Lopez and the entire AGS leadership team on numerous initiatives, I’m excited to help this passionate, experienced, innovative, and intelligent team take the company to the next level,” Freeman said.
Freeman ended his five-year tenure at the AGA in August. He became just the second person to head the AGA when he took over in 2013 from Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., who helped found the organization in 1995. Freeman served as the chief advocate for the industry.
The AGA was created to battle anti-gaming forces that could have halted casino expansion and prompted federal taxation on casino earnings. Under Freeman’s leadership, the organization’s role transitioned to serve more as an advocate for gaming expansion and advance a proactive public policy agenda.
Freeman encouraged the recognition of gaming’s role as a mainstream U.S. entertainment business that produces a yearly economic impact of $261 billion, supports more than 2 million jobs, and provides $40.8 billion annually in tax revenue to 40 states with commercial and American Indian operated casinos.
AGS went public earlier this year on the New York Stock Exchange and the company has received accolades from the investment community for growth trajectory.
Freeman will become the company’s seventh board member, joining Lopez, Chairman David Sambur, Daniel Cohen, Yvettte Landeau, Adam Chibib and Eric Press.
Before joining the AGA, Freeman served in numerous high-level roles, including chief operating officer for the U.S. Travel Association. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Public Policy from University of California, Berkeley.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
