“I thought it would be a Summer Job!” — 14 Years Later, She’s Running the Studio”
When Alina joined Evolution as a Game Presenter back in 2011, she thought it would just be a summer job.
Today, she leads the studio operations of our New Westminster studio as our Operations Manager, a role she’s held for the past three years.
I never imagined how far this journey would take me. It started with a simple step…
Trying Something New
Alina’s story is not just about her own career growth, but also one about how she grew together with Evolution. On top of that, it’s also about how she gets to relocate and explore different countries in Europe, and now North America.
After starting as a Game Presenter in Latvia, she travelled to different regions, always with the same goal: to bring the best product quality that Evolution offers in live casino to new markets around the world.
Powering Markets with our Unique Expertise and Quality Products
With each new studio launch comes a different challenge, and most of it requires adjusting and adapting our products for different cultures.
That’s what excites me.
I love taking something great and making it fit a new culture.
It’s about understanding people, respecting differences, and finding joy in the unknown.
Thanks to Alina’s love for challenges and her high adaptability, she quickly grew into her role as a Service Support Specialist in 2012, and one that she excelled in that she got promoted to a Team Leader after a year. This is a role that also propelled her to many other opportunities across regions where she brought her expertise to various market from Latvia to Malta, Romania, the US and now Canada.
About Service Support
The Service Support Department works behind the scenes to make every gameplay count and ensure all our tables are operational without disruptions.
The department works in a Mission Control Room to monitor live game feed from a wall filled with monitors. It’s almost like something out of a sci-fi movie! This room is the heart of Evolution’s operations and is responsible for ensuring operational excellence, system availability, security and regulatory compliance.
She credits her success in Evolution to being open-minded, courageous, respectful, and flexible — four values that she believes are key when entering new markets. These are also the very reason we can deliver the best quality product wherever we are streaming from.
Leading one of the Best Performing Studios Globally
After relocating to Vancouver in 2017 as Manager of the Service Support Department, she worked her way up and now oversees the growing operations of our New Westminster studio, which recently expanded from one floor to two. As both the team and studio continue to grow, she remains focused on cross-functional collaboration.
What I’ve come to appreciate most as an Operations Manager is how everything connects. Floor management is just one part.
We work closely with commercial, technical operations, HR, finance, equipment support, service support…
It’s like a giant clock where every cog matters.
She emphasizes that success at Evolution is never a solo effort. A lot of it has to do with teamwork, cross-functional communication, and mutual respect. We also set our bars high and provide a safe environment for our people to learn and grow, as long as they have the right attitude.
Growing with Evolution while Exploring the World
Relocating to a new country comes with a lot of challenges and the unknown is often fearful yet exhilarating at the same time. What gave Alina the courage was the confidence in the company and her desire to broaden her horizons.
Due to the unique nature of our business, Evolution appreciates adaptable talent who are great problem solvers.
There’s no real fixed formula in opening new studios in other locations. You really need the ability to deal with the unknown and be swift in adjusting.
With experience, being able to predict and prepare ahead also becomes your superpower. Of course, knowing the company and our products very well plays a huge part too!
Back in 2011 when Alina joined, there were about 30 tables, and approximately 500 employees. Today, Evolution is 22,000 EVOlutioneers strong powering over 1,700 LIVE tables internationally in more than 50 locations.
Since opening in New Westminster, Evolution Canada has seen rapid expansion and with it, countless stories of growth.
“We’ve promoted so many amazing people from Game Presenters, Shufflers, Card Inspectors into operational roles like Floor Supervisor, Team Managers, Service Support, and other support functions like HR and Finance.
I’m proud of every single one of them.“
Advice to the Next Generation of Leaders
When asked what advice she would give to anyone aspiring to grow at Evolution, her answer is simple and powerful:
Hard work always pays off.
Go above and beyond because we are growing so fast, we must develop ourselves fast too to keep up. Go out of your comfort zone and always ask yourself if you can do more.
She adds that dreaming big is just as important as being grounded in the details:
If you want to grow, you need to dream big, take initiatives and be an everyday learner. Stay curious and observe the details of how different departments work together to make the studio run like clockwork.
As part of our continuous effort to unleash EVOlutioneers’ talent and ambition, we conduct Shadow Days regularly to allow our employees the opportunity to peek into some job functions.
Such opportunities are yours to grab!
Final Words for Those Who Dare to Dream
As someone who has grown with our business, her message to current and future EVOlutioneers is both heartfelt and empowering:
Don’t wait for someone to hand you an opportunity. Speak up about your intentions to grow if you know what you want. Even if you don’t, explore and keep an open mind.
2025 is one of Evolution Canada’s more exciting years with new floors, upcoming table launches and game shows. This also means a bigger management team and more opportunities for EVOlutioneers to build their career.
Want to Grow Your Career?
Do it by starting something new today, just like what Alina did!