People news 16 July 2015
The latest people news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (10 July to 16 July 2015)
Lee Fenton named Gamesys CEO in management reshuffle
Robeson Reeves takes over as COO while founder and chief exec Noel Hayden takes up executive chairman position
Gamesys founder and chief executive Noel Hayden has become the firm’s executive chairman with COO Lee Fenton taking over the reins as CEO with immediate effect.
Hayden becomes exec chairman of the Gamesys Group with incumbent chairman Roger Devlin annoucing his departure after more than nine years at the firm’s AGM last month.
In an internal memo sent to staff, and seen by eGaming Review, Hayden said Devlin’s exit and his own recent appointment to the Intertain board meant it was the “right time” to take on an executive chairman role.
“The ‘executive’ bit means this is more of a hands on role and I’ll continue to lead the company’s vision, R&D and innovation agenda, have the final call on new product lines and oversee all corporate development,” Hayden told staff.
Fortuna names ex-Paddy Power man as CMO
Fortuna Entertainment Group has appointed Paddy Power’s former head of online sportsbook Darren Lovern as its new CMO.
Lovern began his role at the Central and Eastern Europe operator, which is among the retail and online market leaders in Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, at the end of June.
The Irishman will report directly into Fortuna’s CEO Per Widerstrom and assumes responsibility for marketing across the entire group, leading the planning, development and execution of the marketing goals, strategy and tactics for the business.
Seven days in people news:
Bet365 appoints Graham Wood to international development role
Bet365 has appointed egaming veteran Graham Wood as its new international development officer.
Wood, whose initial remit will focus on bet365’s burgeoning Italy-facing business, began his role earlier this month and will report into the firm’s international development manager, Jon Moss.
Wood brings a wealth of experience of European egaming markets having served as Victor Chandler’s regional director for southern Europe, international development manager at Ladbrokes and head of betting at Italian firm Snai earlier in his career.
SNAI CEO stands down as Cogetech merger nears
SNAI chief executive and chairman Giorgio Sandi has resigned from both roles with immediate effect ahead of the Italian gaming giant’s merger with Cogetech parent company Cogemat Group.
The two firms, which reached agreement on the 225m merger back in May, this week set out an integration timetable scheduled to complete in October, at which point Cogemat CEO Fabio Schiavolin will assume responsibility for the combined firm.
In the meantime, SNAI board member Gabriele Del Torchio will take on the day-to-day running of the business from an interim managing director role. Following the handover to Schiavolin, Del Torchio will become executive chairman.
Isle of Man ebusiness director Greenhill departs
Peter Greenhill, the director for e-business development at the Isle of Man’s Department of Economic Development, is leaving his role to return to the private sector.
Greenhill, who was previously CEO of Asia-facing lottery and gaming company Betex Group and consulted for Camelot and Gala Coral, spent two years in the post and oversaw a period of high growth for the sector, with more than 100 new egaming jobs created on the island last year alone.
He also took a lead role in steering the Isle of Man government through a raft of legislative and regulatory issues such as the UK’s Point of Consumption tax and licensing regime, which were introduced last year.