A business builder with global credentials
Jimmy Maymann first joined Superbet Group in April 2023, as Deputy Chairman of the Board. What followed was a period of extensive strategic planning at Board and C-Suite level, which ultimately resulted in him being appointed as the company’s CEO, with a mandate that started on 15 January, this year.
At Superbet, Jimmy Maymann has brought extensive senior and board-level leadership experience, combined with an impressive track-record as an entrepreneur. Throughout his career, Jimmy has created and transformed companies in technology & media, digital services, telecoms, and non-governmental organisations.
As a seasoned tech investor, Jimmy was decisive in the creation and growth journeys of more than 10 companies, being involved in several successful exits. As such, one of the best examples is the online video distribution platform Goviral, which he co-founded and was later sold to AOL, in 2011.
In terms of senior leadership positions, Jimmy served as Executive VP of AOL’s portfolio of content brands, reaching a global audience of 499 million unique visitors every month. Previously, he was the CEO of The Huffington Post, being credited with designing and executing an international expansion strategy that saw the establishment of branches in 15 international markets, resulting in an audience growth from 35 million to 210 million unique visitors each month.
We sat down with Jimmy, wanting to understand the vision and ambitions he has for Superbet Group. What followed was an insightful conversation about global expansion, performance culture and life lessons.
You have joined Superbet in April 2023, as Deputy Chairman of the Board, and this year you started a new chapter, as Group CEO. What convinced you to be part of the Superbet journey and take on this exciting challenge?
It was a challenge I worth taking - to lead of an already highly successful business that still has vast potential to grow further, challenge the industry and introduce our premium digital product to more countries and customers.
Since the beginning, I was impressed with the exponential growth of Superbet, which was done in a short amount of time. What first started with becoming the retail leader in Romania was followed-up by a well-executed shift to online and a consistent investment in the Group’s proprietary technology. Furthermore, the regional expansion of our main consumer brand, in markets like Poland and Serbia, was strengthened by the acquisition of Napoleon Sports & Casino in Belgium.
Superbet has been growing fast, and I want us to continue this momentum while setting high international goals for our organization. My vision is that we will transform into a truly global entertainment group, fulfilling our ambition to become the number one operator in the global sports betting market.
Founding and then successfully selling GoViral to AOL, consistently growing the audience for AOL’s portfolio of global brands or expanding The Huffington Post in 15 international markets. These are just some of your most impressive achievements. Looking back on these landmarks, what are the similarities between some of those chapters and the current momentum of Superbet?
I feel fortunate to have garnered a wealth of knowledge and business acumen by scaling companies that were content driven and part of the international media landscape. Every venture taught me different life and business lessons. That is mostly due to the ever-changing business environment, which is constantly impacted by different customer’s needs, new technologies and competitor tactics.
That being said, if I were to draw a parallel with what I found in Superbet, I would focus on the timing of global expansion. Superbet is immensely successful in Romania and Poland, while also establishing a strong presence in Belgium, through Napoleon Sports & Casino. I feel now is the perfect time to expand our business model on the global scene, extending our unique sports & entertainment product offering to diverse communities of customers, across multiple continents.
That is the reason we decided to start our exploration of the Brazilian market, where we established resounding partnerships with heritage football clubs São Paulo FC and Fluminense FC, as well as becoming the first sports betting brand to ever sponsor the music festival Lollapalooza.
Focusing on international expansion and drawing from your experience as CEO of The Huffington Post, as part of your core strategy you had three pillars: open new markets, create video content and develop multiple business verticals. Will these tactics be part of Superbet’s upgraded strategy for global expansion?
Our strategy is structured around being customer obsessed. To champion our customers and make sure we provide them with a unique experience, we are unlocking the power of data and have set up a framework for high efficiency in terms of operations.
In terms of international expansion, we have a go-to-market approach which is complemented by an outstanding strategy of global marketing and generosity offerings for players across all our regions.
Furthermore, we are committed to creating an outstanding digital product, which will act as the driving force behind our ambitions to become the global leader of the sports betting industry.
As we are taking Superbet to the next level, transforming the company into a global challenger, we are providing our players with a unique sports & entertainment ecosystem: sports betting, curated content, and social media.
One of the first things you have told people in Superbet is an essential quote from famous management consultant Peter Drucker: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. As an ardent believer of this perspective, how do you see the culture in Superbet and its future potential?
I am very impressed by the unique organizational mindset and entrepreneurial culture which defines Superbet. This is something that was nurtured by the company’s founder, Sacha Dragic. His disruptive thinking and entrepreneurial mindset are very much present in how Superbet successfully operates today.
My perspective on work culture is deeply connected with intrinsic motivation. Throughout numerous instances we can notice that a native sense of ambition, the desire to innovate, and capacity to act nimble are paramount for sustainable growth and solid business achievements.
While increasing the level of efficiency across our teams, we need to remain committed to our core business principles: being truly customer-obsessed, designing a product-led strategy, and a demonstrating a global-thinking leadership approach.
As Group CEO I will make sure that we will foster a work culture derived from the authentic values of this company and its people. My personal goal is to empower people to grow, showcase their talent in a positive work environment and thrive in a highly competitive international business landscape.
On top of your impressive business career and tech-investor track record, maybe not many people know that you have an interesting background in sports, more exactly in professional handball. With some trusted sources even claiming that handball was invented in Denmark, this sport is very popular across some of the countries with Superbet presence, like Romania, Serbia, Croatia, or Poland. What essential aspects from sports and handball are you transferring to the way you build businesses and empower teams?
Indeed, I am proud to have a background in professional sports and a passion for competitive handball. One of the core principles in the game of handball is to constantly move the play. That means that the entire team contributes to defensive and offensive actions, while dribbling plays a lesser role in the detriment of fast connecting passes, which are the key to success.
This is extremely well translated into business tactics, as I expect a strong commitment and collaborative work across all teams within the organization. Modern businesses must have strong unity while acting nimble, teams must be resourceful, while embracing change.
That is why I am very intentional about mentoring future leaders across the organisation, empowering people through ownership and building efficiency through solid work ethics.
Furthermore, constant training is the only way in which we can be at peak performance, so I will nurture an environment where our people can develop their skills and capabilities, while having the proper framework to measure the impact of everyone on the team’s performance.
Overall, I want us to have at Superbet a team that plays to win every time, a group that will be constantly prepared to take on new challenges.
