Kannan Gopal
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Program Manager, HCLTech (Consulting for Brightstar)
In his capacity as a Program Manager with HCLTech, Kannan Gopal consults Brightstar on accounts including the South Dakota Lottery. He is the epitome of a customer-centric vendor who goes above and beyond in his job duties and does it with a great attitude.
As the South Dakota Lottery’s instant/on-line systems vendor, Brightstar provides a wide array of services that are made possible thanks in part to Kannan’s expertise. He is at the forefront of programming efforts that cover a vast range of efforts such as accounting, sales and marketing. He often serves as the lead for multiple key projects at once and has been able to balance them to provide optimal service in an efficient manner.
In the past year, Kannan has showcased his leadership by navigating both the Brightstar and South Dakota Lottery teams through many major projects. He has been instrumental in delivering mobile cashing functionality to players and continuously improving that product. His extensive work behind the scenes and his willingness to work through new ideas has been invaluable to the Lottery.
While Kannan may not claim accounting as his strongest area, he consistently knows exactly who to engage to resolve issues quickly. He continues to play a key role in a major State of South Dakota project integrating accounting data from the Brightstar back office system into a new financial system. His support across all accounting-related matters makes him an invaluable partner to the South Dakota Lottery.
Kannan has also been instrumental in the Lottery’s transition to a new shipping partner. His expertise has paid dividends throughout the process, clarifying key elements to both the Lottery and the new shipping partner on how the Brightstar system will optimize the relationship.
Like many lotteries, South Dakota has successfully launched the Millionaire for Life draw game and is preparing to launch Powerball Xs & Os. Kannan has had his fingertips all over these game launches by providing guidance on items such as play slips, terminal screens, jackpot display signs, vending machines and API optimization. He ensures that the team meet important deadlines and benchmarks throughout these game launches, which gives the everyone confidence for a seamless game launch.
Best of all, the team knows that Kannan is just a phone call or email away if a problem arises. He is always calm under pressure and excels at explaining complicated programming topics in terms that everyone can understand, treating South Dakota Lottery employees with the utmost respect. He is the perfect candidate for the 2026 Powers Award.
