Exclusive: Why Adaptability May Be iGaming’s Most Valuable Talent Skill – Logifuture’s Marvin Cuschieri on People and Leadership

The competition for talent has become one of the defining challenges for the global iGaming industry. As companies expand across markets and AI changes the nature of many roles, organisations are increasingly looking beyond technical expertise to find people who can adapt, learn and grow with the business.

In this exclusive interview with iGaming News Today, Marvin Cuschieri, Group Chief People & Talent Officer at Logifuture, reflects on his journey across consultancy, gaming, technology and executive leadership. He discusses talent shortages, AI and people management, leadership, international company culture, employer branding, employee development and why flexibility and adaptability are becoming increasingly important for both businesses and professionals.

Q1: You’ve held leadership roles as both a CEO and now Group Chief People & Talent Officer. Looking back, how has that journey shaped your approach to leadership today?

Marvin:

One of the biggest advantages throughout my career has been the opportunity to work across different industries and leadership roles. Every sector brought a different perspective on solving problems and managing people.

My career began in consultancy, where I worked with family businesses, IT companies, financial institutions, and some of the earliest gaming businesses in Malta. That experience taught me how to approach challenges from multiple angles and understand that every organisation operates differently.

Moving into CEO roles completely changed my perspective. Instead of focusing on solving individual problems, I had to think about the bigger picture-long-term strategy, shareholder value, and sustainable growth.

Later, working in a technology company within the ride-hailing industry strengthened my understanding of technology-driven organisations and helped me develop a mindset suited to leading highly technical teams.

Today, at Logifuture, those experiences help me balance commercial thinking, technology, and people leadership. I’ve learned that sustainable business performance comes from aligning all three rather than treating them as separate priorities.  In addition, I’ve always believed that people strategy only creates value when it’s directly connected to business strategy. HR shouldn’t operate alongside the business – it should help shape where the business is going.

Q2: The iGaming industry continues to grow across different markets, but competition for talent is stronger than ever. What do you think are the biggest challenges companies face when attracting and retaining great people today?

Marvin:

Talent shortages have existed in our industry for many years, particularly in specialised and senior roles.

The challenge is that iGaming is still a niche sector. One of the biggest misconceptions is that experienced professionals can move into iGaming without a learning curve. While transferable skills certainly exist, our industry has its own operational, regulatory and product complexities that take time to master. 

At the same time, AI is changing the way we think about recruitment. Companies are increasingly looking for people who can manage AI, interpret its outputs, and solve problems rather than simply perform technical tasks. That means soft skills, adaptability, and critical thinking are becoming just as important as technical expertise.

When it comes to retention, I also believe a healthy level of employee movement is natural. I don’t believe zero attrition should ever be the objective. Healthy organisations naturally experience a degree of employee movement, bringing fresh ideas while creating new opportunities for existing teams.The focus should be on creating an environment where people continue learning rather than expecting everyone to stay indefinitely.

Q3: AI is transforming almost every business function. How do you see AI supporting people, talent management, and leadership without losing the human side of business?

Marvin:

AI is making people management significantly more effective by giving employees and leaders easier access to information.

HR has always relied on multiple systems for talent management, training, performance, and workforce planning. Traditionally, connecting all of that information required dedicated data teams.

Increasingly, AI allows those systems to work together much more efficiently, helping leaders identify trends, forecast future needs, and make better-informed decisions.

Throughout every technological shift we’ve seen, the work hasn’t disappeared – it has evolved. AI is simply accelerating that trend, allowing people to spend less time on administrative or repetitive tasks, and more time applying judgement, creativity and leadership.

However, leadership will always require human judgement. AI can analyse data, but it cannot understand emotions, context, or the complexities behind human decision-making. Technology should support people – not replace them.

Q4: You’ve led organisations through periods of growth and transformation. What qualities define an effective leader in today’s iGaming industry?

Marvin:

Decisiveness, combined with accountability, is one of the most important qualities a leader can have.

The iGaming industry moves extremely quickly, and leaders rarely have perfect information before making decisions. Waiting too long often creates greater risks than acting with the best information available.

Strong leaders gather the relevant data, assess the situation, and make decisions confidently. Speed, combined with sound judgement, is often a competitive advantage.

In our industry, delaying action while waiting for perfect certainty can mean missing opportunities entirely.

Q5: Logifuture has teams across multiple countries and remote environments. What do you think are the key ingredients for building a strong company culture when people aren’t all in the same office?

Marvin:

Building culture across multiple countries is certainly challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.

We’ve deliberately focused on creating one international culture rather than allowing individual office cultures to dominate. From the moment people join Logifuture, they’re introduced to the company as one global organisation.

We also invest heavily in bringing teams together through travel, social events, and regular collaboration between colleagues in different countries.

Supporting managers is equally important because leading distributed teams requires different skills. We regularly bring our managers together to share experiences, discuss challenges, and learn from one another.

Over time, this has helped us build an organisation where people identify with Logifuture first, rather than with a particular office location.

Q6: What role do you believe employer branding will play in helping iGaming companies attract talent in such a competitive global market?

Marvin:

Employer branding has become essential across every industry, but particularly within iGaming where competition for talent is intense.

What’s interesting is that gaming companies have become leaders in this area, with many other industries now adopting similar employer branding strategies. Employer branding is no longer simply about attracting talent; it’s increasingly becoming a competitive business advantage. In an industry where specialist skills are limited, the organisations that consistently communicate who they are and how they develop people will naturally attract stronger candidates.

AI has also made employer branding much more accessible. Companies can now produce high-quality content more quickly and cost-effectively than ever before, allowing even smaller businesses to compete for talent.

As competition continues to grow, organisations that communicate their culture, values, and employee experience effectively will have a significant advantage.

Q7: Flexibility and adaptability seem to be recurring themes throughout your career. How important are those qualities for people working in today’s iGaming industry?

Marvin:

They’re absolutely essential.

This industry evolves far too quickly for people to expect rigid career paths or fixed job descriptions. Today’s role may look very different a few years from now, and that’s part of what makes iGaming so exciting.

Unlike more traditional industries, gaming companies often have flatter structures and provide opportunities for both vertical and horizontal career growth.

People who embrace change, enjoy learning, and remain adaptable are far more likely to succeed in this environment.

Q8: If you were advising someone starting their career in iGaming today, what personal qualities or skills would you encourage them to develop first?

Marvin:

My biggest piece of advice would be to develop flexibility.

Success in iGaming isn’t about following a perfectly structured career path-it’s about being willing to learn, adapt, and embrace new challenges.

The industry invests heavily in employee development, which creates tremendous opportunities for people who are open to change. If you’re curious, adaptable, and comfortable working in a fast-moving environment, you’ll continue finding new ways to grow.

Gaming tends to reward people who enjoy change, continuous learning and solving new challenges. Those qualities often matter more than following a perfectly planned career path.

About Logifuture

Set up back in 2009 to provide bespoke software development and consultancy for gaming operators, Logifuture is made up of a group of dedicated and highly motivated professionals. 

Today, Logifuture is a market leader in B2B solutions for igaming operators – across tech, product, operations, data and marketing.