Light & Wonder appoints Aimee Hoyt as chief people officer
Hoyt returns to Las Vegas to lead global people strategy and M&A integration
Key Takeaways
- Light & Wonder named Aimee Hoyt chief people officer in an announcement published on 13 October 2026.
- Hoyt will relocate to Las Vegas and will lead global people strategy, talent, culture, organisational effectiveness and M&A integration.
- Hoyt previously served as chief people officer at Palo Alto Networks (Jan 2024–Jan 2026; adviser until May 2026) and as executive vice-president of HR at IGT from 2010 to 2015.
- The appointment follows Roxane Lukas’s departure the month before; Lukas had been chief people capability officer since August 2022 and had prior roles at Electronic Arts and Scopely.
Light & Wonder appointed Aimee Hoyt as its new chief people officer in an announcement published on 13 October 2026. Hoyt will relocate to Las Vegas and joins from Palo Alto Networks, where she held the same role through early 2026 and remained as an adviser until May.
Nomination of Aimee Hoyt at Light & Wonder
Aimee Hoyt will oversee global people strategy, talent, culture, organisational effectiveness and M&A integration for Light & Wonder. The company said in its statement: “We’re excited to welcome Aimee Hoyt to Light & Wonder as our new chief people officer. Aimee’s leadership and expertise in people and culture will help drive our next chapter of growth.”
Hoyt thanked the company for the opportunity in remarks quoted by the firm:
“I’m thrilled to return to the Las Vegas community and partner with this incredible team of creators who are bringing world-class games and experiences to life globally. Thank you to [CEO] Matt Wilson for this opportunity. I look forward to building on the foundation of a culture rooted in innovation and winning together. It truly is all about the games and the people who bring them to life.” — Aimee Hoyt
The explicit reference to Matt Wilson identifies the chief executive who appointed her. The designation follows the departure of Roxane Lukas, who left the company the month before after having taken the role of chief people capability officer in August 2022.
## Career of Aimee Hoyt and previous HR roles
Hoyt has a career built on senior HR leadership. Her experience includes:
chief people officer at Palo Alto Networks, the cybersecurity firm; she joined in January 2024, resigned as people chief in January 2026 and remained as an adviser until May 2026.
executive vice-president of HR at IGT between 2010 and 2015, almost five years with the company.
chief HR officer at Rackspace, an enterprise artificial intelligence company.
chief people officer at Illumina, a DNA sequencing technology company.
Her career path mixes experience at large technology suppliers and companies with global operations, reinforcing the expectation that her mandate at Light & Wonder will cover both internal talent policy and transactional processes.
## What her responsibilities mean: strategy, culture and M&A
The chief people officer role Hoyt assumes includes oversight of five specific areas: people strategy, talent attraction and retention, corporate culture, organisational effectiveness and acquisition integration. In established markets such as the United States, integrating teams after acquisitions requires coordination between HR, operations and product. Light & Wonder has emphasised that Hoyt’s experience in people and culture is key to “drive our next chapter of growth.”
The explicit mention of “M&A integration” in the job description places the hire within priorities common to content and technology suppliers expanding their footprint by acquisition.
## Market context and game performance in the US
The appointment comes as Light & Wonder records titles among the region’s top performers. According to the NA Slots Tracker, published in collaboration with eGaming Monitor (EGM), Light & Wonder games rank highly in the United States. The titles Huff N’ Even More Puff Grand and Huff N’ Puff High Rise both appear in the top 10 of the ranking.
That commercial performance gives context to the corporate message about the importance of “the games and the people who make them possible,” a phrase Hoyt quoted in her statement.
## Succession and background within Light & Wonder’s people function
Roxane Lukas held the role of chief people capability officer from August 2022 until her departure the month before the announcement. Lukas previously held senior HR responsibilities at Electronic Arts and at Scopely, the publisher responsible for the game Monopoly GO!.
The transition from Lukas to Hoyt places Light & Wonder in a phase of renewal of its people leadership with profiles drawing experience from major publishers and technology suppliers.
## Executive search partners and external support
EGR notes that Arnold Ash acts as an executive search partner for EGR and supports organisations seeking industry leadership talent. The EGR release includes that reference in the context of the Hoyt announcement.
What the sector should expect
For [operators, providers and talent buyers](/b2b) in iGaming, the appointment underscores Light & Wonder’s priority on human capital management alongside product performance in the US market. Hoyt’s mix of technology and product-provider experience points to an agenda focused on cultural consolidation and acquisition integration.
Light & Wonder’s games continue to show strong performance in North American rankings, and the new people leadership will be tasked with sustaining that performance while managing organisational changes and M&A integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Aimee Hoyt’s appointment at Light & Wonder made public?
The appointment was made public in the announcement published on 13 October 2026. The company’s official press release and Hoyt’s quoted remarks appear in that notice.
Where did Aimee Hoyt come from and what was her last role there?
Aimee Hoyt joins from Palo Alto Networks, where she served as chief people officer; she joined that firm in January 2024, resigned as people chief in January 2026 and continued as an adviser until May 2026.
What responsibilities will Hoyt have as chief people officer at Light & Wonder?
Hoyt will be responsible for global people strategy, talent attraction and retention, corporate culture, organisational effectiveness and the integration of acquisitions, according to the official job description in the announcement.
Who left Light & Wonder’s people function prior to this appointment?
Roxane Lukas left the company the month before the announcement; she had assumed the role of chief people capability officer in August 2022 and previously worked in senior HR positions at Electronic Arts and Scopely.
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About the author
Gonzalo Marín
Industry Deals Correspondent
Gonzalo Marín covers the corporate deal flow of gambling — operator strategy, M&A, regulated-market entries, and product launches. The reports open with the transaction, cite companies, valuations, and jurisdictions exactly as released, and keep the announcement apart from its actual effect. When a Latin American operator raises capital or a European brand lands in the region, Gonzalo Marín reports who signs, for how much, and on what terms.
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