Lauren Bates currently serves as the Vice President of Sales, Western Region, at Konami Gaming, Inc.; a leading innovator of slot machines and gaming enterprise management systems for the global gaming market  Since joining Konami in 2006, Mrs. Bates has held various positions. In her current role, Lauren is responsible for developing and managing her team of sales professionals, driving revenue, increasing overall market and ship share, and the development and execution of annual business strategy.  Lauren has a proven success record of 13 years in gaming that include highly recognized sales achievements for both games and system sales, business process improvement, and mentoring/leadership programs. Lauren grew up in Ohio, earned her BA from The Ohio State University in Marketing and Logistics with a Minor in Professional Writing, and recently completed UCSD’s Mindful Executive graduate program.  She enjoys volunteering at various organizations throughout Southern Nevada and is an active member of Global Gaming Women serving on the Board of Directors and various committees.