TAMPA, Fla. (December 18, 2024) – Mikhail Gaushkin is the new Senior Vice President of Marketing at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
Reporting directly to President Steve Bonner, Gaushkin will lead the marketing team with a dynamic approach centered on cross-departmental collaboration, strategic goal-setting and rigorous campaign evaluation.
Gaushkin brings an outstanding blend of experience and accolades as an award-winning, seasoned executive in marketing and revenue management for the gaming and hospitality sectors. He first joined Seminole Hard Rock Tampa in 2009 as Director of Database Marketing and later advanced to Vice President of Marketing for Seminole Gaming, where he achieved substantial gains in gross gaming revenue and hotel occupancy. He had primary responsibility for marketing, advertising, direct mail and public relations for all gaming and related businesses at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, as well as four other Seminole casinos in the state.
Beyond his success with Seminole Gaming, Gaushkin has held pivotal leadership roles, including Chief Revenue Officer at JetSmarter, where he guided a successful turnaround, and Global Vice President of Marketing & Revenue Growth at GoDaddy, where he played an instrumental role in significantly increasing the company’s enterprise value and supporting its successful IPO. Most recently, as Chief Marketing Officer at Auction.com, he led initiatives that enhanced customer experience and boosted sales through innovative marketing strategies and advanced analytics.
His previous gaming industry experience includes stints as senior director of strategic marketing for the former Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. Additionally, he held leadership roles with Caesars, Harrah’s, and MGM/Mirage across operations, finance and marketing.
Gaushkin grew up in Krasnodar, near Russia’s Black Sea resorts, and participated in the “Youth for Understanding” intercultural student exchange program. He resided with a host family in Las Vegas and attended the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV), graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in hotel administration. That was followed by a certification in Digital Marketing Strategies from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, further strengthening his marketing expertise.