Hanna Radchenko, CEO of APERCON, is a person unafraid of change and skilled at turning challenges into opportunities. She has extensive experience and has built a team for whom sports, integrity, and a systematic approach have become part of the company’s DNA.
Hanna answers SBC Eurasia’s 10 questions about pivotal decisions, her leadership philosophy, lessons learned from crises, and why true success in iGaming is impossible without inner drive and genuine passion for your work.
– What was your first job and what led you to pursue a career in the iGaming industry?
– The iGaming industry is the most innovative, fast-growing, and ambitious. Developing in it means constant movement, a high pace, solving non-standard tasks, and the ability to influence global results directly.
This is a field where management is directly connected with personal qualities – with inner dynamics, openness, professionalism, and leadership. Here, the scale of a person’s personality, their way of thinking, and their cross-functional experiences – in business, sports, or life – directly determine how they build partnerships and achieve results.
APERCON’s path into iGaming was a logical step: we wanted to be in an environment where personal energy and professional expertise merge, becoming an instrument of real transformation.
– What was the single biggest turning point in your career?
– The key moment in my career and in the company’s history was the decision to enter the iGaming field around 2012 and to open APERCON offices in Europe. This step allowed us to scale the business, move beyond local markets, and become part of the worldwide iGaming ecosystem.
Our European presence allowed us to integrate deeper into the global context of the industry, to work with top players, strengthen partnerships, and shape international standards of C-level recruitment and consulting.
This move required courage, quick adaptation, and strategic vision – and it became the starting point for the company’s global growth and for APERCON’s new level of leadership on the international stage.
– What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career, and how did you overcome them?
– The challenges are classic – economic and political crises, local currency turbulence. A crisis is always an opportunity. At APERCON, we follow the philosophy: ‘A correctly built mechanism works precisely.’ This is not just a phrase but a management principle we apply everywhere – from building business processes to team interactions.
What might traditionally be seen as a crisis or difficulty for us is, in fact, a manageable part of the transformation process. We see change not as a threat, but as a predictable and controllable element of business development.
This approach allows us to maintain stability even during global shifts and to turn external challenges into a source of internal growth.
– Who has been the key mentor in your career, and what is the best piece of advice you ever received that still drives your work today?
– My main mentor was and remains my mother, the founder of our group of companies. Unfortunately, she passed away four years ago, but her wisdom, principles, and approach to work continue to live in every project we implement. The most valuable advice she left was not actually advice, but a philosophy that became the foundation of APERCON’s culture:
We approach every project and every partnership as if we were building it for ourselves. That means we do our work at the highest level of quality, treat our partners’ businesses as our own, apply maximum effort to achieve results, save our partners’ time and resources along the way, and generate the best solutions to reach their strategic and financial goals.
– What advice would you offer to those just beginning their journey in the industry?
– Don’t try to earn all the money, and don’t become a money-driven person. People who have a healthy hunger and passion for achievement always have a higher chance of success than those who only see financial goals.
Develop your expertise and experience. Find a mentor, work with strong teachers, allies, and like-minded people who will help you grow. And most importantly – find what truly drives you, what makes your heart beat faster.
Always do your work well and love what you do – then success will not be the goal, but the natural result of a job well done.
– You’ve seen the iGaming industry evolve over the years. What are the biggest changes you’ve witnessed, and where do you think the industry is heading next?
– With the growing speed of technological progress, the pace of the iGaming industry development is rapidly accelerating. We live in an era when devices, software, and the IT industry itself are evolving simultaneously, creating a completely new dynamic. All of this directly accelerates the evolution of the gaming market.
If we talk about the key changes we observe, there are three:
1. Tightening of the regulatory landscape – the development of national and international policies aimed at creating a more transparent and controlled market.
2. The arrival of a significant number of non-core investors – large players from related industries entering the market, which increases competition and raises professional standards.
3. A sharp increase in investment capacity and, as a result, a higher investment entry threshold for the industry.
– You’ve made bold moves throughout your career. Do you have a personal mantra or philosophy that guides your professional decisions?
– The key to our philosophy is to do everything we take on at the highest possible quality and to achieve the best possible results.
When we start any partnership, we realistically assess the goals and always provide the best solutions for our partners and clients. At the same time, in the best traditions of the old school, we deeply value transparency, mutual trust, and human values.
We always pay attention to who we work with and what principles these people hold.
And yes – for us, money does have a smell.
– What accomplishment in your career are you most proud of, and why does it stand out to you?
– The most important achievement in our career is the gratitude and trust of our partners. For us, this is more than a result – it is a reflection of a 20-year sustainable reputation that we have built step by step, year by year.
In our philosophy, as the saying goes, a samurai has no goal – only the path. And I feel that we are walking this path with dignity. Our main achievement is the effectiveness and growth of the businesses we help create and develop.
And, of course, it is our team – and the trust and appreciation of those we work with.
– iGaming is known for its fast-paced and innovative environment. How do you stay inspired and maintain your creativity amidst the industry’s rapid evolution?
– We are inspired by examples of industry leaders and empowered by the system we have built – a system that operates in perfect sync. When business mechanisms work clearly and the team moves in one rhythm, energy appears – energy that gives birth to new ideas and projects.
As for personal sources of inspiration, it’s definitely sport. As part of our corporate and social responsibility, we support and develop Brazilian jiu-jitsu, tennis, and team sports that align with our interests.
Not because it’s trendy or prestigious, but because sport is an essential part of the lives of almost every member of our team and part of APERCON’s DNA.
In my perception of the world, sport is a driver that practically demonstrates the power of system thinking, stability, honesty with oneself, and personal effort. It teaches responsibility, helps maintain focus, and preserves inner dynamics and the ability to innovate. Sport gives drive. Sport gives inspiration.
– Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently in your career? What lessons have you learned from any missteps or regrets?
– We have no regrets because we have no false expectations. Just like in sports, mistakes are part of the journey and an element of development and transformation. We are constantly learning – to learn means to evolve. Therefore, we have no mistakes – we have opportunities to improve, to open new horizons, and to reach new levels.
If you ask me what I would have done differently, I would simply answer: over the years, we have learned one rule – the more paperwork, the stronger the friendship. That’s why today we pay special attention to transparency and document all agreements, plans, and expectations with our partners and clients on paper.
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