Vigne Kozacek, Founder and Director of Innovation Squad Ltd
Gaming and Sports Betting Technology and Security Consultant
Vigne Kozacek is the founder and Director of Innovation Squad Ltd, creator of the Digital Chaperone App to help parents manage children's smart devices. Consultant and Senior Technology Advisor to Operators, Suppliers and Regulators in the Gambling and iGaming Industry in Europe, Middle East, Africa, North America and Latin America.
Co-Host of the Big Betting Balagan Podcast. Technology Columnist for iGaming Business magazine. Prior to this Vigne worked predominantly in the Gaming industry in positions such as Head of Information Security and Head of Special Projects covering Mergers and Acquisitions for an FTSE 100 company.
He has held various senior management positions including but not limited to being the first appointed IT Director of Boylesports in Ireland.
“Repeating the same failures over and over again and expecting a different outcome isn't wise, so make sure that you take time to absorb the lessons from your failures and carry those lessons with you to ensure you don't repeat them.”
Vigne Kozacek
Vigne Kozacek LinkedIn
Vigne has extensive experience in both Information Technology and Information Technology Security and holds director-level positions in other companies predominantly in the start-up phase.
Who do you most admire in business?
There is no-one I can say that I admire the most but do admire both the men and women who have never been afraid of dreaming big and then working tirelessly on that dream to see it materialise.
What companies or brands do you like or do you think are getting it right?
For me, this is similar to the first one, and rather than admiring a company for the size or creativity used by their marketing budget, I admire companies that are constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation and continuously challenge the status quo.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Never be afraid of failure and learn to embrace it as a learning experience forms part of every journey to success.
What drives or motivates you each day?
My insatiable desire to create new things and work on delivering them gives me enormous satisfaction; that is what gets me out of bed in the morning.
What are your thoughts on the future of social media?
Social media, as it stands today, has taken both the positive and negative parts that make up any society and has magnified them to the Nth degree. It has played a major role in reducing real-world human interaction, decreased the average attention span and motivated many people to pursue that one post that "goes viral" or the creation of the most popular post of the day.
To answer the question, I think that it is only a matter of time before social media begins to have a real-world impact on individuals’ futures and ultimately their standing in society, a social score not too dissimilar to your credit score.
Do you have a mentor or do you mentor anyone?
I have regularly helped people and spent time advising them on various things, and in turn, I too have sought advice from people I trust and respect but don't have a mentor nor do I mentor others in the traditional sense.
How do you network?
Usually, in a social setting, I tend to gain the most networking value out of social situations as that is how you get to know people more so than in a strictly business environment.
How did you get into this line of work and What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same line of work?
I left school after O levels (GCSE) but always knew I wanted to work with technology, so I found a job that would allow me to do that. My first job was loading paper into 132 column printers and have worked my way up the equivalent of CISO in an FTSE 100 company before starting my entrepreneurial journey in 2014.
My advice to anyone wanting to get into any line of work that they are passionate about is to find a way in even if that means starting at the bottom. Embrace it, and use it to learn as much about the industry and the organisation as you can. Some of the best-run companies in the world are run by people that have worked their way up the ladder and truly understand every aspect of their business.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
That failing is a part of the learning process and that it should be embraced rather than feared.
What's the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
The fear of ridicule and/or embarrassment in front of peers. Everyone has failed at something. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Most often than not, it's the people that just keep getting back up are the ones who are most successful.
That being said, repeating the same failures over and over again and expecting a different outcome isn't wise, so make sure that you take time to absorb the lessons from your failures and carry those lessons with you to ensure you don't repeat them.
What are you most proud of in your life?
My family, and how my son and daughter have grown up to be determined and strong-willed individuals ready and eager to challenge the norm.
How do you define success?
Predominantly by impact whether that be the creation of jobs or seeing the dream you envisioned materialise from the effort you have directly invested into whatever that may be and the feeling of achievement which is priceless. I feel that financial reward is a by-product of success and not the measure of it.
What do you think your unique skill(s) is that has helped you become successful?
Determination and a willingness to listen and learn from other people's experiences.
What valuable lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience?
Happy people are the most productive people, never lose sight of the human factor in everything you do and how what you do affects the people around you.
Is there anything new you are working on that you would like to share?
I am currently learning all I can about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) which includes a course on programming AIs and machine learning.
Although these three technologies have already had a significant impact on the world around us, we have only scratched the surface as far as their capabilities are concerned. I have some ideas that I would like to develop around this however it is too early to share them just yet. Watch this space!
Where's your favourite place?
Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, I have visited in excess of 70+ countries and am yet to find anywhere that compares. I may be being biased as I am originally from Zimbabwe.
What is your hobby?
As strange as it may sound I like to learn and any downtime I have is usually spent learning about new breakthroughs in Science, Medicine or Technology. I also like to watch rugby when I get an opportunity!
Best holiday of choice?
As above you just can’t beat a houseboat on Lake Kariba!
What are you NOT very good at and What are you good at?
Planning my time has been a challenge especially as I am involved in so many things, delivery has never been an issue because I work well under pressure but would like more structure to my days which can be like drinking water from a firehose. Ironically, problem-solving is a strong point of mine and I am yet to encounter a problem I have not been able to solve one way or the other except maybe time management.
Which words do you overuse?
“However” and “Basically”.
Your social media platform of choice?
I guess this depends on what I am doing, Twitter and LinkedIn for Business and Facebook some business but mostly personal.
When are you happiest?
When I manage to get some time away with family and friends and because I have a restless mind, when I am buried in a project!
Your favourite movie?
Favourite movie Shawshank Redemption.
A positive phrase or quote you like to share with people.
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” ― Albert Einstein
Would you like to share any positive message relating to the global pandemic COVID-19 situation?
It’s very easy to give advice but not as easy to follow it. I am working on the following guidelines that I have set for myself and hope it is useful to others:
Setup and follow a daily routine.
Use this time to do something positive to keep your mind and body active, learn a new skill or a new language; perhaps, this can all be done on the internet. Ask yourself what you always wanted to learn but have never had the time to and do it now.
Value the extra time with your family but take time out when you need to.
Connect or re-connect with old friends you have not spoken to in a while. Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, Twitter and Instagram are all applications that help you connect with people, join some groups with the same interests as you.
Make sure to check on your elderly neighbours (keep your distance of course), do they need help? Are they lonely? Help where you can.
It’s very easy to get bogged down by the news so perhaps just keep up with the government advice/guidelines for a few days and avoid the news, give your mind a rest.