Hanna Radchenko on hiring priorities, discipline and talent shortages in iGaming
Hanna Radchenko, CEO of the APERCON group of companies, has worked in iGaming since 2011 and still believes the industry’s core problem is neither regulatory nor technological. In an exclusive interview with SiGMA News, she explains why a multi-billion-dollar market has yet to answer a fundamental question: where to find people who can be trusted to drive its growth.
Hard skills or personal qualities?
The question of what matters more in hiring, technical expertise or personal character, remains unresolved across the iGaming industry. Radchenko is direct about where she stands:
“Dedication to the business, reliability, integrity – these come first. Hard skills are acquired abilities. It is not the smartest people who scale a business, but the most dependable, mature, professional ones – those who share the company’s values.”
This approach is not unique to iGaming, but in an industry defined by rapid change and frequent technological advances, it carries particular weight as skills become outdated more quickly than character traits. When assessing senior executives, Radchenko considers how people behave when things go wrong:
“I look at the quality of decision-making, at the decisions themselves, at the level of risk and toxicity involved. The benefit has to outweigh the risk, and decisions have to remain manageable over the long term.”
Discipline in a high-velocity environment
When people talk about iGaming, they usually mean how fast it is and how it changes. Radchenko sees discipline not as something that goes against these qualities, but as something that is needed for them to exist:
“Discipline is the foundation. iGaming is a highly dynamic market, full of temptation, a high degree of operational variability, and a high cost of error. It is a tool that protects a business, its employees and its partners from mistakes, and one that builds stability in partnerships.”
The logic is simple: the faster things move and the more expensive it is to make a mistake, the more important it is to have a system that limits arbitrary decision-making.
Generational turnover
High job mobility among Gen Z employees is often cited as a structural feature of the modern labour market. Radchenko reframes the question of how companies should respond, arguing that high turnover is a symptom rather than an inevitability:
“My position is clear: support loyal and talented people. High staff turnover is a characteristic of unstable businesses. Those who join for money will leave for money. A person’s attitude towards income is one indicator of their maturity.”
This is a firm stance that shifts responsibility for staff turnover away from market conditions and towards the quality of a company’s culture and its initial hiring decisions. The implication is that businesses with a stable culture and clearly defined values are less susceptible to staff turnover.
Hiring vs developing C-level talent
Radchenko resolves the debate over whether to recruit senior executives externally or develop them internally through the company context rather than a universal rule:
“External hiring is relevant during a phase of rapid business growth, or when a senior-level replacement is needed urgently or confidentially. Internal development is viable when a long-term strategy is in place, the business is stable, and the resources are sufficient.”
In other words, the right approach is determined by the stage and pace of the business, not by management philosophy.
A structural talent shortage
Beyond hiring philosophy, Radchenko points to a broader industry-wide issue:
“The pipeline of qualified talent for iGaming is a serious problem.”
In 2026, APERCON launches an educational platform for mid-level and senior professionals. The stated focus areas are product, business development, operations, retention, VIP management and crypto projects. It is one of the few structural responses to the sector’s talent shortage. Most companies continue to address the problem reactively, competing for the same pool of experienced candidates already working in the industry.
Money as outcome, not objective
Radchenko summarises the philosophy behind her approach to people and recruitment in simple terms:
“What matters is the people who generate results. Money is not the goal; it is a by-product, a welcome outcome of well-executed work. The only place that makes money without people is a mint.”
The principle reflects a consistent management position: financial results follow from getting the people equation right, rather than being an end in themselves around which a team is built.
Background
Radchenko’s views have been shaped by direct industry experience. APERCON has operated in iGaming since 2011 and operates offices across six jurisdictions: Ukraine, Hungary, Austria, the United States, Spain and Cyprus. The group focuses on recruitment, consulting and B2B product development. Radchenko attributes part of her perspective on quality standards and decision-making speed to her experience in the US market:
“The core principle is not to wait for better conditions, but to do what you can, here and now, to the highest standard. Any business decision has to be timely and professional to be effective.”
Looking ahead
Hanna Radchenko‘s position on the iGaming labour market is based on several related ideas. She believes that personal qualities like reliability, maturity, and alignment with company values matter more than technical skills, which can be acquired. She sees discipline not as a limitation, but as a mechanism for reducing operational risk in a fast-moving environment. In her view, high staff turnover reflects weaknesses in company culture or hiring decisions rather than an unavoidable feature of the labour market.
Decisions on whether to hire externally or develop C-level talent internally, she argues, should depend on the company’s stage of development and operational needs. She says the problem of not having enough talented people in the industry is not just about competing for those already there.It is a structural issue that requires long-term investment in education and talent development, not just recruitment.
This article was first published in Russian on 14 May 2026.
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