Eric Faulkner
Chief Information Officer
A seasoned technology and program management professional with a long track record of success, Eric Faulkner assumes the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Federated Sports + Gaming. He is charged with leading software development efforts, as well as management of all business information systems and supporting technology.
Eric served most recently as a consultant with Youbet.com, the largest independent, legal online gaming site in the U.S. until it was purchased by Churchill Downs Inc. (NASDAQ:CHDN) in June 2010. He was instrumental in leading the company’s efforts to revamp its software development and product development capabilities. Eric implemented numerous improvements to internal practices, driving higher, more consistent output of the technical departments and a more focused approach to the product development lifecycle. He also led the company’s exploration into expanding its gaming portfolio and extending its geographic footprint into Europe.
Prior to Youbet.com, Eric was Vice President of PMO (Project Management Office) and Quality Assurance at Network Solutions, the premier provider of web-based services,enabling small to medium sized companies to establish, design, maintain, promote and optimize their online presence. Eric led the PMO, the Product Development team and the Quality Assurance department, and coordinated all program management activities for the Software Engineering department. He instituted enhanced standards in the software development lifecycle process which led to materially higher degrees of quality and predictability.
Before Network Solutions, Eric was a Manager in Accenture’s technology consulting practice, overseeing a wide range of projects across a variety of companies, from small start-ups to Fortune 500 businesses. Eric’s focus areas were online sales channels and customer service portals, along with various aspects of ISP businesses. His involvement included software development, quality assurance testing, product development, process development and project management over both technical and business teams.
Eric graduated summa cum laude from Bradley University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, focusing on research methodology and quantitative analysis, and a minor in Business Administration. He is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Information Technology at Virginia Tech, and holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute.