Superbet appoints Amazon GM as VP of sports and content
Rustam Khashimkhodjaev joins CEE operator with a core focus on sportsbook and content after five years at Amazon
Superbet has appointed former Amazon exec Rustam Khashimkhodjaev as vice-president and general manager of sports and content.
Khashimkhodjaev joins the firm after more than five years with Amazon where he worked across a host of different divisions at the multinational tech giant.
He joined Amazon in June 2019 as global head of player engineering, working on Prime Video.
Over the next five years, he switched to working on Prime Gaming in March 2020 and a “stealth project in the EU” in August 2021.
April 2023 saw Khashimkhodjaev become general manager of international technology where he oversaw developments in machine learning, AI and UX design.
Khashimkhodjaev previously spent eight years with US telecommunications firm Comcast between February 2010 and February 2018, holding multiple roles as he worked his way up to director of product development engineering.
In joining Superbet, Khashimkhodjaev will also hold a dual role with the operator’s in-house tech division, Happening.
His focus will sit across sportsbook, content, live scores and a proprietary social platform, SuperSocial, being developed by the group.
Taking to LinkedIn to confirm his appointment, the new VP added that Happening was on a recruitment drive, with positions open across the UK, Croatia, Romania, Brazil, Spain and Slovakia.
Jobs across software, infrastructure, data and product are all live, with Khashimkhodjaev noting that the tech arm is “growing rapidly”.
Happening launched in October 2022 as Superbet divested its in-house tech business to allow various tech and product teams to operator under a single entity.
Khashimkhodjaev said he has been “excited” to get to grips with the operator’s tech stack.
Writing on LinkedIn, he said: “[I’m] thrilled to announce that I’m starting my fourth week at Superbet/Happening. Time flies when you are having fun.
“I have been excited to dive deep into the impressive business and technical stack. Working alongside such talented people to accelerate the business is incredibly motivating.”
Eslewhere, the CEE operator has recently seen two senior figures depart the business.
Trading director Terry Pattinson stepped down at the end of July after four years with the company while at the start of August, chief people officer Shaun Conning confirmed his exit.
Conning was replaced by ex-Paddy Power chief HR officer Sandra Thorpe.
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.