Lads to restructure comms department

Former Alliance Boots comms director Donal McCabe has been appointed by Ladbrokes to head up its revamped ‘communications council’.

McCabe, who currently serves as director of corporate communications with property business Land Securities, will take up the new role from January 2013.

According to PR Week the former Alliance Boots director of corporate comms – who previously spent seven years as head of media relations for Railtrack – will assume an overarching role with responsibility for coordinating media, investor relations, public affairs, consumer PR, internal comms and brand.

He said of his appointment: ‘Ladbrokes is a strong, exciting brand with global ambitions going through significant change. I’m excited by the significant comms challenges and opportunities it has to offer.’

As part of the reorganisation, Ladbrokes’ current corporate affairs director Ciaran O’Brien will take on the broader role of director of government and corporate affairs, while the operator’s comms department also comprises head of investor relations Matthew Sharff, PR director Mike Dillon, head of consumer PR David Williams and head of internal comms Drew McMillan.

The comms reshuffle follows a number of changes on the executive side, with CEO Richard Glynn appointing Nick Rust to the post of UK and Ireland director, putting former Gala Coral executive Damian Cope in charge of international P&L and handing the head of IT position to Mark Grimes.

This, the second reshuffle in Glynn’s short tenure, followed the dismissal of head of product Richard Ames in July following repeated delays to the launch of its new online sportsbook. That launch is now scheduled for early 2013, although it was rolled out to selected customers during the third quarter of this year.

Glynn said of McCabe’s arrival: ‘Donal will strengthen an accomplished team and provide a co-ordinated approach to our comms in the UK and internationally, encompassing traditional and new media.’