EFFORTLESS EFFORTS

Words by Nicolà Abela Garrett Photography by Stina Kase

At the end of September, the best names in the industry gathered at Valletta’s MCC for the iGaming NEXT Conference for 2022. One of the highlights of the event was the Diversity & Inclusion Conference, which featured a glittering panel of speakers participating in a thought-provoking discussion. Fast forward to a few weeks later (and many kilometres away from Valletta), and the subject is still on our lips when we met with Maarja Pärt at the Yolo Offices in Tallinn. We chatted with the Estonian CEO to get her perspective on the matter.

This is not the first time we’ve touched upon the subject of diversity with someone from Yolo, although our previous discussion had focused more on the topic of age gaps and how it benefits the workplace. This is still a badge of honour for Maarja, who informs us that her oldest member of staff is now in their late 60s. Speaking of age, our jaws drop to the floor when she tells us she’s only 32 years old. As we recover from the shock (and admiration), it dawns on us that Maarja is very likely the gaming industry’s youngest female CEO.

Admittedly, when we asked her about her own trajectory in the field, we were expecting a tale of strife and opposition from the patriarchy, but we were instead pleasantly surprised to get a far more uplifting story. “I started working for Yolo when I was 20 years old, when we were a team of just six, and I was the only woman at the table and in Estonia working in the industry. At no point did I ever feel that my opinion was disregarded on the basis of my gender. I was always made to be a part of important discussions, and that very much remained the case throughout my career within the company.”

What a breath of fresh air. However, in her early days, she did find herself multitasking a number of roles that have traditionally been relegated to women in the past. Maarja found herself juggling office administration, events organisation, HR, even moonlighting as the office psychologist. But there isn’t an ounce of bitterness about it. “I was happy to be a jack of all trades in the office, and it actually turned out to be one of my key strengths. I’m proud to say that I managed to pull off several roles.”

Yolo’s come a long way since then. From half a dozen people that operated exclusively in the poker sector, to a multi-faceted group that delivers next-level innovation to gaming, fintech and blockchain companies, it is now represented by more than 50 nationalities, with ten strategic locations all over the world. We ask if the purpose of this was to maximise diversity and inclusion, but as she does for the rest of this discussion, Maarja gives a very pragmatic answer. “It was mostly due to the development of the business and its needs, such as long-term localised projects. So, I wouldn’t say that this had happened purely to facilitate diversity.” But what about seeking bigger pools of talent specific to the gaming, bitcoin and fintech industries? Surely, the locations chosen had something to do with their talent pools. “In the case of Malta, yes. Its position as a gaming hub was certainly a factor. The office was set up to maintain a closeness with our partners as well as the potential talent that could be found here. But ultimately, the main motivator to set up global offices was to create individual teams that could operate independently. From a group’s perspective, it offers us multiple and sustainable teams that prevent bottlenecks from happening in our long-term strategy.”

So how does Maarja really feel about diversity and inclusion? Her sentiments are crystal clear; she maintains strong but constructive opinions on the issues surrounding diversity and inclusion. “My stance on the entire topic is a bit different, especially from a leadership approach. With regards to some of the measures that are trying to be implemented, I don’t know whether these will lay strong enough foundations for an organic culture to last.” We probe her a little bit more, and it seems that she is more focused on what works for her in the context of diversity and inclusion, rather than what doesn’t. One thing is certainly apparent: Maarja passionately believes in the diversity of opinions. To her mind, building a team that comprises different individuals from a myriad of backgrounds - each with their own unique thinking processes - will inevitably translate to more dynamic outputs and lucrative outcomes. Even when it comes to shutting down toxicity in a worst-case scenario, Maarja’s all for having a mixed bag. “Such diversity is vital, because if a team finds themselves in a situation where the leader is potentially taking an authoritarian approach, the latter is bound to be challenged by the team’s pluralism. Ultimately, one person will never be as smart as ten people put together.”

Or indeed 850, as Yolo’s headcount will tell us. “For me, it’s always been about sourcing the best minds and the most conducive personalities. The recruitment process has always been about assessing personal traits, rather than a CV or for us to try to collect token individuals. I wouldn’t want to be in my role just to be part of some statistic or some balancing act.”

It's clear that the multiplicity of Maarja’s team never came about as an exercise to window-dress or perform diversity and inclusion to peers. She’s proud to say that they’ve never had to artificially create policies or quotas; it’s always been about finding smart gogetters with a good mindset and an initiative for problem-solving. She’s someone who adamantly dismisses stereotypes, but she’s incredibly aware that she was one of the lucky few who was not held back. This positive experience is what makes her a champion of this approach, and as CEO, she still makes huge efforts to get well acquainted with the company’s newcomers. When it comes down to it, Maarja wants to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable. “As to how this comes about, I always leave my team to their own devices, and I give them the freedom to define the ins and outs of their needs. This ultimately supports their own performance within the company.”