Rena Schoonmaker

Hi, I am Rena Schoonmaker. Welcome to my profile!

Rena Schoonmaker's Bio:

Recognized for strengths in gaming product strategy, casino operations, and technology leadership, Rena combines operational expertise with deep product management knowledge to deliver innovative, market-driven solutions that improve efficiency, drive incremental revenue growth, and enhance overall portfolio performance. She is highly regarded for her ability to align business objectives, emerging technologies, and operational needs to successfully lead complex product initiatives and cross-functional teams within the gaming industry.

Rena Schoonmaker's Experience:

Sr. Product Manager at Aristocrat Technologies
April 2012 - Present | Las Vegas, NV
Rena is a Sr. Product Manager for hardware and software gaming products. In her role she • Produces multiple, simultaneous hardware and software produces via cross-functional program teams with budgets on the scale of $500k to $30M. • Solves market problems by leveraging distinctive competencies to address gaps and trends in the product portfolio relative to the global competitive landscape. - Reduced annual BOM costs for key hardware components by +$1m - Reduced complexity and cost of enabling technology hardware while improving reliability - Owns responsibility for bill of material costs for products and maintaining balance with commercial viability • Represents the product management team as a patent committee member increasing the number of design and utility patents applications across the product portfolio • Authors monthly business cases, change requests and pulse checks approved by the internal investment committee • Manages and executes an 18-month near-term product plan while strategically planning a 5-year roadmap • Provides consultation to internal teams delivering social and online gaming products • Manages product integration of products coming into the portfolio as a result of M&As • Conducts due diligence efforts focusing on product portfolio fit during M&A reviews • Mentors junior product managers on how to conducted market research, site visits, and customer interviews used for ensuring market driven requirements in gaming platform and UX design Aristocrat celebrates over 60 years’ experience and over 2,200 staff globally. Their diverse portfolio extends from electronic gaming machines and business critical gaming applications to online content distribution in regulated markets.
Director of Electronic Gaming Technologies at Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
December 2002 - March 2012 | Las Vegas, NV
Rena was the Director of Electronic Gaming Technologies for Caesars Entertainment, Inc. During her time in that role she • Developed and successfully implemented, with a diverse cross-functional team, various gaming technologies that continuously grew incremental revenue, reduce hard/soft costs, and provided new marketing channels in competitive markets • Researched emerging technologies, clearly outlined options and provided recommendations for senior leaders that maintained timelines and avoided costly IT development cycles ultimately saving $8M • Achieved an average annual savings of $600K with future value cost savings benefits of $3M through the evaluation and re-negotiate existing vendor pricing and maintenance agreements • Influenced various vendor system and hardware roadmaps to ensure their alignment with the company’s strategic vision. Caesars Entertainment Corporation owns, operates, or manages casino entertainment facilities. Its casino entertainment facilities include land-based casinos, riverboat or dockside casinos, and managed casinos, as well as casinos combined with a thoroughbred racetrack and a harness racetrack. As of December 31, 2013, the company owned, operated, or managed 52 casinos in 5 countries, as well as in the 13 states of the United States. The company was formerly known as Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. and changed its name to Caesars Entertainment Corporation in November 2010. Caesars Entertainment Corporation was founded in 1937 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.