iGP CEO Jovana Popovic Canaki on the hidden weight of leadership

Every CEO in the iGaming industry knows about that post-ICE buzz. The event has finished, the hype has died down and all the work you have put in has paid off.

For most of us, we get the joy of basking in that feeling for a while. Following the event, my company, iGP, was clearly on an upward trajectory and I was privileged to lead a highly capable team into exciting waters. 

Yet, within 24 hours of this year’s event finishing, I found myself in the starkly contrasting environment of a Barcelona police station.

I won’t go into great detail about the petty theft I had been a victim of. While this was no doubt problematic, it was secondary to the profound sense of violation and loss I had suffered. The small items, the laptop, the phone, the money, these were all easily replaceable. However, the loss of a collection of personal mementos, accumulated over years of travel that remind me of home and my loved ones, hit me like a ton of bricks.

These kinds of experiences inevitably prompt a period of self-reflection. Leadership is a daunting and often tiring task that can destroy your spirit as quickly as it can lift it.

The constant cycle of highs and lows, the intricate project planning, the ongoing professional development, the never-ending conveyor belt of client and supplier meetings, not to mention the need to maintain personal relationships with your team. The thought of a simpler, less-demanding path always lingers in my mind, and I often ask myself: “Is it all worth it? Why do I do this?” 

The underlying principles

The modern-day, LinkedIn-friendly version of a CEO is all about approachability and creating a familial and open work environment. However, the reality for many CEOs is very different.

The sheer mention of the word CEO can spark a reaction in people. Colleagues will inevitably act differently when you are around. Upon achieving my promotion, it became apparent that people were conscious of CEOs in a way I had never experienced before. 

This, in itself, can feel isolating. The ability to shift resources, alter policies, adjust budgets and make critical hiring and firing decisions carries a profound responsibility and the pressure of this can feel enormous. There is an unspoken rift between CEOs and their team, no matter how hard they try to bridge this gap. 

Of course, while people may react differently to you, a professional image is a major part of your job. You need to ensure you smile at everybody, have your office open for discussion at all times and never show any signs of weakness. Bottling up negative thoughts and stress becomes a part of your role as a leader, and ensuring this does not manifest in other aspects of your life can be a challenge. 

This can all sound terrifying and, in truth, sometimes it is. However, these pressures also provide you with the power to create and to inspire. Through my role as CEO, I have achieved things I never thought I could, and that desire to build something new and break boundaries is ever-present.  

This feeling is unrivalled in the professional world – it is something that keeps me focused despite all the challenges and the isolation that the role presents. The company has become like a child and I feel an immense sense of pride whenever we achieve any significant milestones. 

Through all the C-suite level professionals I have dealt with, it has become clear that the journey to becoming a CEO, or any C-suite level leadership position in iGaming, is rarely linear or effortless.

It involves years of dedicated work and perseverance, as well as a lot of personal sacrifices. For me, my journey to the top began on the ground floor, gaining invaluable insights from working in multiple different jobs across the industry. 

This hands-on experience has proved crucial as I have ascended the corporate ladder. Thanks to it, I could take Bragg Gaming, formerly Oryx Gaming, from a small, agile team to a publicly listed company with over 200 individuals on its payroll, establishing myself as a respected name within the industry in the process. It has since continued this meteoric rise, now having over 500 staff members and counting. 

Advice to aspiring leaders

Over the years, I have learned and am continuing to learn that leadership is a multi-faceted role. It is undoubtedly a privilege and a responsibility, but it can also become a burden.

The sense of isolation often associated with leadership stems not from a lack of colleagues but from the unique weight of the responsibilities carried and the personal sacrifices often made behind the scenes. You need to be able to make decisions that nobody else wants to and this will often come at a big cost to yourself and those around you. 

To those aspiring to leadership positions: ensure that your ambition is driven by a genuine desire to build something meaningful and to make changes. If you are driven purely by money, then you are going to find those long nights even more difficult. Ask yourself, are you prepared for the profound impact that the role will have on your professional and personal life?

In short, make sure you have a definitive reason to keep you going, because otherwise, you will be asking more questions than you will find answers for.

Jovana Popovic Canaki is the CEO of iGP, a leading iGaming platform and aggregator powering operators worldwide with secure, scalable and innovative technology. With over a decade of industry experience, she has held senior roles across operations, commercial strategy and partner success.

Before iGP, Jovana was VP partner success at Aspire Global (NeoGames Group, now part of Aristocrat), CEO of Masterpiece Gaming and director of iGaming platform and services at Oryx Gaming (Bragg). Renowned for her strategic vision and operational leadership, Jovana is also one of the few female CEOs leading a major B2B provider, setting an example for the next generation of leaders in iGaming.