International Game Technology Thursday announced a series of changes to its executive team and board, effective January 24, 2022.

Lorenzo Pellicioli, who has served as chairperson of the IGT’s board of directors since November 2018, will retire but remain a non-executive director.

Current CEO Marco Sala will become executive chair of the board, and Vincent Sadusky will become CEO and executive director of the board.

“The changes to the IGT executive team and board are an important step in positioning the company for the next phase of its evolution,” said Pellicioli in a statement. “The actions further strengthen IGT’s capabilities to execute on its long-term strategy and the value creation initiatives identified in the company’s recent investor day.”

Pellicioli also said Sala’s transition to executive chair was a “natural evolution.”

“More importantly, during his 19-years at IGT and its predecessor companies, he has a proven track record of success and has earned the trust and respect of IGT’s customers, investors, business partners and regulators,” Pellicioli said.

Sala will focus on managing the board, corporate governance, sustainability initiatives, and guiding the strategic direction of IGT.

“I am looking forward to taking on the new role of executive chair at IGT and to partner with Vince, with whom I have worked extensively over the years, in leading IGT forward,” Sala said in a statement. “I believe our skills and experiences are complementary and will serve our stakeholders well.”

Sadusky has been on IGT’s board of directors since 2010 and most recently chaired its audit committee. He was CEO of Univision Communication from 2018-2020 and also has worked at Media General, Lin Media, and Telemundo Communications.

“IGT is well-positioned for the future, and I am very excited to join the company as its next CEO,” said Sadusky in a statement. “With a seasoned executive team and very talented group of employees across the world, it represents a great opportunity for me to support an industry leader in the next phase of its growth.”

IGT also announced that Maria Pinelli and Ashley Hunter were appointed January 14 as non-executive directors of the board. Pinelli also was appointed chair of IGT’s audit committee.

“We are delighted to have Maria and Ashley join our board,” Pellicioli said. “They both bring deep and diverse professional experiences to IGT to enhance our board composition. We are looking forward to their contributions.”

Rege Behe is lead contributor to CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at rbehe@cdcgaming.com. Please follow @RegeBehe_exPTR on Twitter.