Marina Ilina, who has almost a decade of experience in the technology industry, is the founder and CEO of PIN-UP Global. She has created an international ecosystem of independent companies, each of which specialises in different aspects of entertainment products used by millions of customers around the world.

Marina Ilina is on the list of Forbes Cyprus 20 Women in Tech Awards, and PIN-UP under her leadership has received numerous SiGMA Awards. In an exclusive interview with SiGMA News, Marina spoke about what is needed to achieve global goals, development in turbulent times, and social responsibility.

You have created a large-scale technology business in the iGaming market, which is highly competitive, and founded a charity foundation that helps Ukrainians affected by the war – all in very turbulent times. Please tell us, what is your support and what gives you the courage to act in extreme conditions?

My courage and determination come from my professional ambitions and the desire to do what I am best at. In 2016, my motivation was to create something new and technological in the iGaming market, and in 2022, when I launched the fund, I was driven by a different intention – to help those I could together with my team.

What saves me under stressful conditions is focusing on things I can control and on processes whose outcome depends on me. A clear understanding of my own impact on my life in general, on my business and on my achievements in particular gives me a sense of calm and stability. It’s worth noting: For this method to work, control must be real, not illusory. It’s not enough to think and plan – you need to act. With each “tick” in the list of tasks that bring you closer to your goal, you gain more confidence and peace of mind. And, of course, a strong team that works as a well-coordinated mechanism is a reliable support in building a business.

The gaming industry knows a lot of female leaders. Can you single out those who inspire you?

I am used to being inspired by the challenges of the industry and my own achievements. This may sound unusual to some, but it is what it is. After all, only the “leader” has information about all the efforts made, all the obstacles on the way to the goal, and all the ups and downs – the full picture of success is available only to him or her. Therefore, I do not consider it a productive strategy to be inspired by the achievements of others without knowing the inner workings of the process from A to Z.

What really convinces me of the correctness of my goals, decisions, and inspires me is the results in numbers, and of course, the energy of the team. When you gather around you the strongest professionals who have been working with you for years, and together you create a powerful product, this is what is valuable.    

The PIN-UP Foundation was created to support those affected by the war. Please tell us what initiatives the foundation supports and what future do you see for it?

Since the first day of the war, we have been responding to requests from our colleagues, their friends, relatives, third-party organisations and foundations. Over time, there were a lot of them, so I decided to establish a charity foundation – the PIN-UP Foundation – which has scaled up and is now helping Ukrainians affected by the war.

Our largest project is LINE-UP. Its volunteers bring essential goods for Ukrainians to the frontline areas of Ukraine (food, household items, baby sets and other essential goods). Volunteers travel to Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. In total, we have already provided 44.0000 Ukrainians with humanitarian aid. This is about 253 tons of various goods.

In addition to humanitarian aid, the Foundation is actively providing frontline cities with SafePlace mobile shelters – six street shelters have already been installed with our support. We restore architectural monuments, equip invincibility points, repair and equip children’s rehabilitation centres and hubs for IDPs, and are very active in helping Kharkiv during blackouts with generators and essential products.

We also supported the Mother and Baby Center in Kyiv. It was created to help seriously ill and war-affected children. The PIN-UP Foundation has provided funding for the renovation of the building. I hope that the centre will start working soon and the children will receive the necessary help.

We strive to help those in need with all the resources we have, even when it comes to very difficult situations and prompt assistance in dangerous areas. Last year, our volunteers carried out a humanitarian mission to Kherson after the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station was blown up. They not only delivered humanitarian aid to the city but also took part in rescuing people. Now volunteers and employees of the Foundation are evacuating people from Kharkiv region, where Russian troops have become very active in recent weeks. The Foundation’s volunteers are doing extraordinary things, and we do not plan to stop, because there is a critical need to help the victims and restore Ukraine.

Among your plans for the future, you mentioned investing in startups. Will these be projects for the gaming sector or will you go further, as is usually the case?

Currently, in PIN-UP Global we focus on products in the areas of gambling, traffic, software development, AI, customer service, payment systems, advertising platforms, and arbitrage teams. This choice is based on our strong expertise in these areas. The main goal is to stimulate the development of technologies using all the resources available to us – finance, expertise, and industry contacts – both for independent development and entry into new markets, as well as for integration into our ecosystem.

We have already received more than 70 applications from startup developers and are carefully analysing the projects they submit. What will happen next and will we enter other niches? Anything is possible. The world of technology is developing rapidly, and we always keep our finger on the pulse and are among the first to innovate. Being a market leader means being responsible for the future of the industry, so we are investing our resources in it today.

Participating in the development of technology in a global context is impossible without consistently overcoming difficulties. Can you highlight certain aspects that women find easier or more difficult than men?

My attitude to difficulties is as follows: only those who make efforts overcome them. That is why I am convinced that men and women are equally capable of overcoming crises, analyzing mistakes and achieving success. First of all, you need to honestly evaluate yourself and have the courage to admit your own shortcomings in order to eliminate them. Some may say that women are more flexible and emotional, while men are structured and cold-blooded, but communicating with real professionals, I see only that it is not gender that matters for success, but the right choice of the field of activity, a clear plan and hard work.  

All eyes on East Europe

The gaming world will be turning its focus on East Europe this September when SiGMA East Europe Summit 2024 lands in Budapest.