People news 4 December 2014
The latest people news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (28 November to 4 December 2014)
Glynn to step down as Ladbrokes CEO
Operator will start recruitment process for new CEO as Glynn prepares to leave in 2015
Ladbrokes is to begin the search for a new CEO after revealing current boss Richard Glynn will step down in 2015, having spent almost five years in the role.
The operator released a statement yesterday (Wednesday) confirming that Glynn will continue to serve as chief exec into the New Year and thanking him for what it described as “considerable achievements in delivering a new digital future for Ladbrokes”.
“He has devoted enormous energy and dedication to securing the transformation of the company and the benefits of that work are beginning to be seen,” Peter Erskine, chairman of Ladbrokes, said.
“I am pleased that he will both see through the final steps of the implementation plan and be on hand to facilitate an orderly succession process. Ladbrokes has been transformed and is a far stronger company as a result of his work.”
BetVictor appoints Anton Bell as CMO
BetVictor has made its second major appointment in as many months after hiring Gaming Edge consultant Anton Bell as chief marketing officer.
Bell, who has held a number of senior marketing positions within the industry with the likes of Betfair and 888, joins BetVictor after having impressed the firm during a consultancy brief earlier this year.
“Following a consulting engagement over the summer months, Anton agreed to take up the position of interim CMO, bringing with him a wealth of egaming experience, across analytics, strategy and marketing,” Paul Louis, BetVictor managing director, said.
Seven days in people news:
Ladbrokes “likely to look externally” for Glynn successor
Ladbrokes is likely to look for an external replacement for chief executive Richard Glynn after the bookmaker confirmed he is to leave the business when his five-year term finishes in April next year, according to City analysts.
The firm announced yesterday (Wednesday) that Glynn will not continue in his role past April 2015 and the bookmaker would begin a search for a successor shortly, with both internal and external candidates to be considered for the role.
Panmure Gordon analyst Karl Burns described the timing of the announcement as “strange” due to the “considerable uncertainty” that lay ahead for the company, particularly with the UK Point of Consumption tax having started earlier this week and the “relatively early stage” of the digital turnaround Glynn has overseen.
Betway hires industry veteran Alger for new media role
Betway has appointed Alan Alger to the newly created a role of sporting events and media manager as part of the operator’s on-going strategy to grow its brand in the UK market.
Industry veteran Alger joins Betway’s marketing and events team from Skrill, where he headed-up the payment processor’s sponsorship of three English Football Conference divisions, but will be more commonly recognised for the six years spent at Blue Square, we he held the role of PR manager before the operator was acquired by Betfair in April 2013.
Alger previously gained experience as a trader at City Index and Spreadex before becoming PR manager at Sportingbet in October 2002.
Hilary Stewart-Jones appointed Playtech deputy chairman
Hilary Stewart-Jones has been appointed as deputy chairman at Playtech with immediate effect little more than a year after first joining the board at the egaming supply giant.
Stewart-Jones stepped down as partner at law firm DLA Piper in October last year to become a non-executive director at the software supplier as part of a boardroom reshuffle following Roger Withers’ resignation.
Alan Jackson replaced Roger Withers as non-executive chairman at Playtech and he said he was delighted to welcome Stewart-Jones as his deputy.
Joe Saumarez Smith appointed to BHA board
Bede Gaming chairman Joe Saumarez Smith has been named as one of six new non-executive directors of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in what has been described as a “new chapter” for the industry body.
Saumarez Smith joins the board following an “extensive” search process led by Sports Recruitment International, with two more directors set to be hired by the BHA’s member organisations in the near future.
Saumarez Smith is currently CEO of Sports Gaming Limited, a gaming management consultancy firm he founded in 2001, and chairman of gaming software supplier Bede Gaming.