Scaling a company to 1,500 employees in the fast-paced iGaming and B2B world is a massive leadership challenge. For Anastasiia, Chief Human People Officer at Fidel Partners, the challenge goes far beyond managing talent. Her mission: to build entire businesses around leaders.
With a 50-person HR and recruitment team, Anastasiia leads a unique co-creation model that develops leaders into founders. In this interview, she explains how Fidel Partners transforms top-tier managers into entrepreneurial leaders — and what the future of leadership development programs in iGaming looks like.
Leadership Development Strategy: How Fidel Partners Turns Executives into CEOs
To start, could you explain the Fidel Partners model?
Anastasiia: Fidel Partners is a next-generation B2B solutions provider, built for the iGaming industry. We deliver fully integrated, turnkey ecosystem that empowers businesses to launch, operate, and scale with confidence.
And a Fidel Partner’s HR Brand works for it’s sake, looking for c-level specialists, to lead and develop regions, and all in all to have an opportunity to become a co-owner of a certain direction inside of Fidel.
For each leader, we bring in specialists and offer the full Fidel platform, including licenses, marketing, and recruiting. Our focus is always on growth, not just filling positions.
Fidel Partners often talks about "partnering" with leaders. What does this mean in practice?
Anastasiia: We usually create the business line together. When a candidate has strong expertise or vision, we build a structure around them. It's co-creation, not classic hiring. We support the idea, provide resources, and help it grow.
Are there examples of a top manager who came in with potential but no ready-made structure, and you helped them build a successful ecosystem?
Yes. One of our regional leaders started out without a team, just a strong idea and knowledge of the region. We worked together to build the business and set up a full operational structure. Now, it's one of our most stable clusters.
👉 This reflects a new approach to executive hiring strategy, where HR acts not as a gatekeeper but as a growth partner.
HR Leadership Model 2025: Building Autonomy and Accountability
How does Fidel Partners structure its work with top management and C-level leaders?
Anastasiia: We work through trust and a clear framework. Each leader has autonomy and a defined area of responsibility within the Fidel model. We do not micromanage; instead, we guide with clear goals, data, and regular coordination. The rest is up to the leader.
How does Fidel help C-level execs develop their region or business line?
We create an environment where the leader can focus on growth. This includes access to the platform, BI infrastructure, marketing, legal support, and internal recruiting. All functions are built into the ecosystem and work for the benefit of their business line.
How do you determine a candidate's potential for a role where they essentially become the CEO of a region or division?
Anastasiia: The owner's mindset is crucial. The person must be able to see opportunities, take responsibility, and work with ambiguity. We pay attention to the questions they ask, their approach to people, and their ability to build a system, not just execute tasks.
According to Deloitte's 2024 Human Capital Trends report, companies that empower leaders to make data-driven decisions are 1.8× more likely to achieve above-average business performance — reinforcing the effectiveness of Fidel's autonomy-first leadership approach.
Executive Hiring Strategy in iGaming: Recruiting and Engaging C-Level Talent
Where do you find strong leaders? What sources actually work for finding top-tier managers?
Anastasiia: Most leaders come to us through recommendations, based on trust and professional connections. We rarely work with the open market. It is important for us to see someone in action and understand their approach and mindset, even before the first interview.
Describe the ideal profile for an iGaming Regional CEO in 2025–2026.
Anastasiia: This person has a product mindset, experience with scaling, a high level of autonomy, and can work well in a multicultural environment. They do not wait for instructions but create their own strategy and get the team involved.
How do you work on engagement specifically with top executives? They often already have a high level of autonomy and responsibility.
Build engagement with top executives through trust, transparency, and involvement. Regular syncs, clear goals, and respect for their autonomy foster real engagement, not control or excessive metrics.
What most often motivates top managers to stay and grow within Fidel?
Anastasiia: The freedom to execute is key. Our organization does not operate with a rigid hierarchy. Top managers run their divisions as their own businesses, see tangible results, and receive the support they require.
"We don't hire CEOs — we build them."
These practices align with the broader HR leadership trends 2025 from our article Top 10 HR Trends for 2025–2026 You Can't Afford to Miss.
Executive Hiring Challenges: Lessons for HR Leaders in 2025
What difficulties do you most often encounter when hiring or integrating C-level talent, either from the candidate's side or the company's?
Anastasiia: The most common challenge is inflated expectations. Candidates may assume everything is set up, but at Fidel, growth and building are constant. We clarify from the start: initiative, flexibility, and comfort with ambiguity are required.
What qualities separate successful leaders in your ecosystem from those who don't make it?
Anastasiia: An entrepreneurial approach, critical thinking, and the ability to build a team that fits their vision. Successful leaders make quick decisions, know how to adapt to the market, and stay focused on the result.
Do you have internal "red flags" when assessing a candidate?
Anastasiia: If a person talks only about themselves but can't explain how they developed their team—that's a signal. Another marker is a lack of questions. A leader who doesn't dig deeper or show interest in the nuts and bolts of the process is rarely invested for the long term.
When was the last time you rejected a "star" candidate, and why?
Anastasiia: Yes, we had a case. The candidate had strong experience but a total unwillingness to take on the operational load at the start. Fidel is not suited for those who prefer to manage remotely. We seek individuals ready to build alongside us.
"At Fidel, growth and building never stop — that's the mindset we look for."
The Future of Leadership and HR in iGaming (2025 and 2026)
What trends in top-talent management do you see as key for the iGaming industry in 2025 and 2026?
Anastasiia: Leaders are becoming architects, not just executors of strategy. Increasingly, top managers are joining businesses at an early stage and growing with them. What's important is not just the ability to manage, but the ability to see potential and scale both a team and a product.
How do you see the C-level role evolving at Fidel Partners—more autonomy, more entrepreneurship?
Anastasiia: Definitely more autonomy. Fidel is growing as a network of product and regional hubs. We are strengthening local teams and giving C-level leaders full freedom to make decisions in their business areas. Now, entrepreneurship is a basic requirement.
What is the #1 skill for an iGaming CEO in 2026?
Anastasiia: The ability to combine analytics and intuition. We are in an industry where you have to make fast decisions without losing structure. Leaders who can sync data, the team, and market dynamics will always be one step ahead.
Finally, what would you advise a top manager who wants to grow with Fidel Partners?
Anastasiia: Don't be afraid to join a project at an early stage. We have many cases where people joined in a key role and built a complete business around themselves in a year or two. Fidel isn't about "fitting into a structure." It's about creating it with us.
"The #1 skill for an iGaming CEO in 2026 is the ability to combine analytics and intuition."
Key Takeaways for HR and Leadership Professionals
- Leadership in 2025 is about autonomy + accountability, not hierarchy.
- Co-creation and partnership models will dominate talent management.
- HR leaders must focus on culture fit and initiative, not just experience.
- Strong ecosystems — like Fidel's — thrive on trust, data, and ownership.
For deeper insights into iGaming HR innovation, explore "SBC Summit Lisbon 2025: three HR challenges every iGaming operator is quietly facing."
Connect with Anastasiia
To learn more about Fidel Partners’ leadership development model or discuss collaboration opportunities, you can reach Anastasiia on Telegram: @anastasiia_fidelpartners
Discover HarmonyHR
Build your next generation of leaders with HarmonyHR — a platform designed for data-driven leadership development, automation, and scalable HR strategy.
FAQ: Leadership at Fidel Partners
What is the Fidel Partners model?
It's a co-creation approach that builds businesses around leaders rather than hiring them into existing structures.
How does Fidel develop C-level executives?
Through mentorship, analytics, and real operational autonomy. Each leader builds and runs their own vertical.
What is the best leadership model for iGaming in 2025?
One that combines data, speed, and accountability — Fidel's co-creation approach is one of the few that enables this.
What makes Fidel Partners different from a classic recruitment agency?
Instead of placement, Fidel invests in people to create entire business lines with them.