Expert speaker session · Off the record
Getting knocked down. Lee McFarland on rebuilding his head under pressure.
Lee McFarland ran at full speed for years. Iraq and Afghanistan as a security contractor, then a fast rise through Light & Wonder and Strive Gaming, building teams and hitting delivery targets while doing a master's on the side. In 2022 that pace forced a reckoning: a PTSD diagnosis and a hard look at his drinking. This is what actually happens in your head when you are the one who is supposed to have it together.
Date and time to be confirmed · 60 min · Zoom
This session has taken place
guest seats, by member referral only. Date to be confirmed. Leo approves every guest.
Expert speaker sessions run monthly. Nothing is recorded. Guests are approved by Leo.
What you will hearWhat the room heard
You already know the feeling of stretching yourself thin and telling yourself you are fine because stopping is not an option. This is the hour with someone who had to stop.
Not recorded. Not repeated. Chatham House rule.
“It is so refreshing to finally see and hear someone openly talk about the real challenges of leading a business. This is the kind of stuff you can't get at any conference.”
Why this is not a webinar
No recording exists
Nothing is captured. No replay, no transcript, no write-up. If you are not in the room, you have missed it.
Camera on, 40 people max
Members and approved guests only. Everyone is visible and named. Lee can see who he is talking to, which is why he talks.
You ask him directly for the last 20 minutes
Not resilience as a buzzword. Leo leads for 40 minutes, the room has the rest. If the warning signs sound familiar, bring the question. Chatham House rule: nothing attributed, nothing repeated outside.
About the speaker
Lee McFarland served as a British Army paratrooper, then worked as a private security contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan before moving into iGaming. He rose through Light & Wonder into senior product and delivery roles across North America and LATAM, including the launch of a regulated iGaming product in the Netherlands, and joined Strive Gaming as Senior Vice President of Operations in January 2024, all while completing a master's degree. In 2022 he was diagnosed with PTSD and began rebuilding how he operated, including his relationship with alcohol. He founded Behind The Gloves in March 2023 as informal boxing pad sessions on the sidelines of industry conferences; it is now a structured wellbeing and charitable events business with an advisory board, running sessions at ICE and SBC and staging the Midnight Mayhem fight card. He also runs Praxis Point, a consultancy on market entry, product due diligence and platform selection.
on LinkedInMore from LeeLee McFarland: full profile · Lee McFarland on the iGaming Leader podcast
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Who is in the room
Founders and C-suite from regulated operators and suppliers. Most have 15 or more years in the industry and lead teams of 20 or more.
Members in the room include
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Previous speakers
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