The word “mentor” originates from ancient Greece. Mentor was a
trusted friend of Odysseus, the legendary Greek king and hero of Hom-
er’s Odyssey. He was charged with the responsibility of advising, coun-
seling, and tutoring Odysseus’ son, Telemachus. From that beginning,
“mentorship” has come to mean the informal transmission of knowl-
edge, social capital, information, guidance, and wisdom for the purpose
of helping recipients in their careers and professional development.
The Rebecca Hargrove Award for Mentorship was conceived to put
the spotlight on the importance of developing the next generation of
lottery industry leaders. Last year, the inaugural award was given to
Ms. Rebecca Hargrove herself, the CEO of the Tennessee Education
Lottery Corporation and Senior Vice President of the World Lottery
Association, in whose name the award was launched and who has
long been known for her devotion to developing new leaders to serve
and sustain the lottery industry.
Now, in that very spirit, it is our privilege to honor the tremendous
contributions of Connie Laverty O’Connor, Senior Vice President and
Chief Customer Officer of GTECH S.p.A., and a figure viewed with
great esteem across the industry. Few other individuals have had a
more positive impact on the U.S. lottery industry, and Connie, having
served in a variety of influential roles, is always pushing us to be the
very best we can be, driving for innovation and most of all, results that
benefit good causes.
“Connie Laverty O’Connor is a whirlwind, a dynamo. She brings
an unrivaled passion and energy to all she undertakes,” said Rebecca
Hargrove about this year’s honoree. “And with her signature style,
she has incalculably benefited our industry in so many ways. Still,
her most long-lasting influence will likely be the way in which she
has inspired and mentored a legion of followers to serve and grow
lotteries everywhere. It has long been my honor to call Connie and
[her husband] Patrick friends, and I know she is the perfect recipient
of this award. All of us are thankful for her contributions to the lottery
industry and the legacy she will leave behind.”
This is a very special award because it recognizes the generous
spirit and tremendous efforts of people who genuinely care about oth-
ers and invest their own time in helping them succeed. A commitment
to mentoring is an effort that too often goes unrewarded, yet it makes
such a meaningful difference to the success of talented young people,
the industry in which they work and the many good causes that benefit
from government lotteries.
A native of Kanturk (Co. Cork), Ireland, Connie Laverty O’Connor
immigrated to the U.S. as a young woman to earn her college degree
and seek employment. She began her career as a Grade 3 Clerk at
the New York Lottery. From that humble beginning, she worked her
way up through various departments, until she found her true niche
in sales and product marketing. It is a testament to her intelligence,
unflagging energy, and determination that her final 14 years with the
Lottery were in the role of Director of Marketing & Sales. Under her
leadership, from 1990 to 2004, overall traditional (non-VLT) lottery
sales tripled, from $2.058 billion to more than $6 billion, and instant
ticket sales increased from $200 million to more than $3 billion. That
was a period of dynamic change in the lottery industry, and the largest
lottery in the U.S. evolved its retailer relations, portfolio management,
and game design in major ways.
Connie moved on to serve a two-year term as Chief Operating Of-
ficer of the Georgia Lottery Corporation, and in 2006, she brought her
extensive experience and passion for the industry to GTECH Corpora-
tion. During her initial role as Chief Marketing Officer, she collaborated
closely with U.S. lotteries and the vendor community to establish the
cross-selling of Powerball and Mega Millions tickets in lottery juris-
dictions across the United States. The cross-selling of Mega Millions
and Powerball proceeded to usher in a new era for multi-jurisdictional
games, innovation, progress, and sales for U.S. lotteries.
Connie next spent 20 months as the transitional CEO of Northstar
Lottery Group, the private manager of the Illinois Lottery. During
that time, Connie led the teams responsible for 15 months of record-
breaking sales and profits. After a brief pause to catch her breath, Con-
nie then headed off to the Hoosier State to spend 18 months as the
transitional CEO of GTECH Indiana, leading the organization in the
successful delivery of Integrated Services to the Hoosier Lottery.
Connie currently serves as SVP, Chief Customer Officer, leading
strategic customer initiatives for GTECH. In addition to acting as a
key channel of communication for GTECH’s customers, Connie is
also responsible for overseeing multi-jurisdictional initiatives, and
retail expansion and optimization strategies designed to increase rev-
enue growth for GTECH customers.
“Connie’s enthusiasm for the possibilities within the world of lot-
tery is contagious. Her generosity of time, wisdom, and spirit in
developing the next generation of leaders is invaluable not only to
GTECH, but to the industry as a whole,” said Jaymin Patel, President
& CEO, GTECH Americas.
In September 2010, Connie was inducted into the PGRI Lottery In-
dustry Hall of Fame. The Lottery Industry Hall of Fame was founded by
the Public Gaming Research Institute in 2005 as a means of honoring
those who have done the most to make the lottery industry the great
success that it is today. Former inductees nominate and vote on the final
recipients, and membership is reserved for lottery professionals who
have promoted excellence and integrity throughout their careers.
The ceremony to present the Rebecca Hargrove Mentorship Award
to Connie Laverty O’Connor will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday,
September 10, at the PGRI Lottery Expo Conference in Miami, and
will be attended by over 200 industry leaders.
u
Connie Laverty O’Connor
Senior Vice President & Chief Customer Officer of GTECH S.p.A.
Recipient of the Rebecca Hargrove Award for Mentorship
Public Gaming International • September/October 2014
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