MONTREAL, May 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Amaya Inc.
(Nasdaq: AYA; TSX: AYA) today announced that its Board of Directors
has nominated two new directors, Mr. Peter
Murphy and Ms. Mary Turner,
who will stand for election, along with current members
Divyesh (Dave) Gadhia, Harlan Goodson, Alfred
Hurley and David Lazzarato,
at this year's annual and special meeting of shareholders to be
held on June 21, 2017. If all
elected, Amaya's Board will comprise six directors and continue to
be fully independent.
Amaya intends to file its management information circular for
the meeting later today, which in addition to the election of
directors and other annual matters, will include the previously
announced proposed continuance as an Ontario corporation and corporate name change
to The Stars Group Inc.
"As part of our continued corporate evolution, we are excited to
nominate Peter and Mary as directors," said Mr. Gadhia, Amaya's
Chairman. "Peter and Mary have impressive track records and a
combined 50 plus years of relevant experience. If elected, we
expect them to immediately contribute to the success of our
company."
Mr. Murphy, 54, is the Founder and Chairman of Wentworth Capital
Management, LLC, a private investment and venture capital firm
focused on media, technology, and branded consumer businesses.
Wentworth advises and invests in
early and later stage growth businesses in digital media,
television, and entertainment. Mr. Murphy currently serves on the
boards of directors of various public media and consumer-facing
companies including Tribune Media Company (NYSE: TRCO), where he is
Chairman of the Audit Committee and serves on the Transaction and
Nominating & Governance Committees, and Malibu Boats, Inc.
(Nasdaq: MBUU), where he is Chairman of the Compensation Committee
and serves on the Nominating & Governance Committee. Mr.
Murphy's extensive board experience includes previously serving as
the Chairman of the Board of Revel Entertainment Group, LLC and
board member of Fisher Communications, Inc. and Dial Global, Inc.
(now Westwood One, Inc.), where he served as the Chairman of a
Special Committee for restructuring and on the Audit Committee. Mr.
Murphy previously served as President, Strategy & Development
of Caesars Entertainment Corporation, one of the world's largest
gaming companies. During his time at Caesars Entertainment he was
responsible for corporate strategy and growth, mergers and
acquisitions, corporate development and real estate development
around the world. Prior to joining Caesars Entertainment, Mr.
Murphy was an operating partner at Apollo Global Management, LLC,
focused on media and entertainment. Mr. Murphy spent over 18 years
at The Walt Disney Company in senior executive roles, serving as
Disney's Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Strategic Officer,
Senior Advisor to the CEO, a member of Disney's executive
management committee and the Chief Financial Officer of ABC, Inc.
He was responsible for strategy, new business development, mergers
and acquisitions, technology, brand management, research and
development and long term planning for the growth of Disney's
global businesses. During his tenure, Disney grew from
approximately $5 billion in revenue
to over $35 billion. Mr. Murphy holds
a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth
College where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum
Laude, and an MBA from the University of
Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.
Ms. Turner, 64, served as President and Chief Executive Officer
and board member of Canadian Tire Bank, a subsidiary of Canadian
Tire Corporation (TSX: CTC), from 2012 until her retirement in
2016. She has over 25 years of experience in financial services,
payments, customer service, credit risk management, enterprise risk
management, operations, finance and information technology at
Canadian Tire. Prior to joining Canadian Tire, Ms. Turner was a
partner at Deloitte & Touche (now Deloitte LLP) in Toronto from 1985 to 1992. Throughout her
career, Ms. Turner has been a member of several boards of
directors, including Mackenzie Financial Corporation, a subsidiary
of IGM Financial Inc. (TSX: IGM), where she chairs the Fund
Oversight Committee. She also currently serves on the boards
of directors of YMCA Canada, where she is a member of the Audit
Committee, as well as Niagara College and Canadian Tire Jumpstart
Charities, where she chairs their Audit Committees. Ms. Turner has
an honours B.Sc and is a graduate of the Chartered Director Program
at McMaster University. She is a Chartered Accountant and
received the FCA designation from the Ontario Institute of
Chartered Accountants in 2003.
In addition, General Wesley
Clark, a director since May
2010, and Dr. Aubrey
Zidenberg, a director since July
2014, have informed the Board of their intention to retire
from the Board and to not stand for re-election at the upcoming
meeting. Dr. Zidenberg will, however, remain as a member of Amaya's
Compliance Committee. "On behalf of the company and the Board, I'd
like to thank General Clark and Aubrey for their service,
dedication and contributions to the Board and company over the
years. We are very grateful for their leadership and wish them the
best," said Mr. Gadhia.
Additional information regarding the business of the meeting and
the matters to be considered and voted on by the shareholders at
the meeting will be provided in the management information
circular.
About Amaya
Amaya is a leading provider of technology-based products and
services in the global gaming and interactive entertainment
industries. Amaya ultimately owns gaming and related consumer
businesses and brands including PokerStars, PokerStars Casino,
BetStars, Full Tilt, StarsDraft, and the PokerStars Championship
and PokerStars Festival live poker tour brands (incorporating
aspects of the European Poker Tour, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure,
Latin American Poker Tour and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour). These
brands have more than 111 million cumulative registered
customers globally and collectively form the largest poker business
in the world, comprising online poker games and tournaments,
sponsored live poker competitions, marketing arrangements for
branded poker rooms in popular casinos in major cities around the
world, and poker programming and content created for television and
online audiences. Amaya, through certain of these brands, also
offers non-poker gaming products, including casino, sportsbook and
daily fantasy sports. Amaya, through certain of its subsidiaries,
is licensed or approved to offer, or offers under third party
licenses or approvals, its products and services in various
jurisdictions throughout the world, including in Europe, both within and outside of the
European Union, the Americas and elsewhere. In particular,
PokerStars is the world's most licensed online gaming brand,
holding licenses or related operating approvals in 17
jurisdictions.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements and
Other Information
This news release contains forward-looking statements and
information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995 and applicable securities laws, including,
without limitation, certain expectations related to the upcoming
annual and general meeting of shareholders and the nomination and
potential election of the two new directors. Forward-looking
statements can, but may not always, be identified by the use of
words such as "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate",
"expect", "may", "will", "intend", "could", "might", "would",
"should", "believe", and similar references to future periods or
the negatives of these words and expressions. These statements are
based on management's current expectations and are subject to a
number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including market
and economic conditions, business prospects or opportunities,
future plans and strategies, projections, technological
developments, anticipated events and trends and regulatory changes
that affect Amaya, its customers and its industries. Although Amaya
and management believe the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are reasonable and are based on
reasonable assumptions and estimates, there can be no assurance
that these assumptions or estimates are accurate or that actual
results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied
in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are
inherently subject to significant business, regulatory, economic
and competitive risks, uncertainties and contingencies that could
cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or
implied in such statements. Specific risks and uncertainties
include, but are not limited to, certain expectations related to
the upcoming annual and general meeting of shareholders and the
nomination and potential election of the two new directors, and
those identified under the heading "Risk Factors and Uncertainties"
in Amaya's Annual Information Form for the year ended
December 31, 2016 and "Risk Factors and Uncertainties",
"Limitations of Key Metrics and Other Data" and "Key Metrics" in
its Management's Discussion & Analysis for the three
months ended March 31, 2017, each
available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, EDGAR at www.sec.gov and
Amaya's website at www.amaya.com, and in other filings that Amaya
has made and may make with applicable securities authorities in the
future. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on
forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks
only as of the date hereof, and Amaya undertakes no obligation to
correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as
required by applicable law.
Service as a director on the Board of Directors of Amaya may be
subject to gaming or other legal and regulatory approval.
SOURCE Amaya Inc.