People news 1 October 2015
The latest people news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (25 September to 1 October 2015)
Ladbrokes cuts trading roles in automation move
Long-serving head of greyhound racing Richard Harkness among a small number of traders to have taken voluntary redundancy
Ladbrokes has completed a redundancy round which has resulted in a small number of departures from the firm’s London base, eGaming Review has learned.
The redundancies, which Ladbrokes said were all voluntary, are understood to have affected a single-digit number of traders at the firm’s Rayners Lane headquarters, including long-serving head of greyhound racing Richard Harkness, who joined the bookmaker in 1991.
According to the firm, the redundancy packages were offered as part of “ongoing IT and infrastructure improvements” within its trading division.
The news comes after Ladbrokes in June called time on its international team, a move which saw its managing director Damian Cope depart and nine other roles placed at risk of redundancy.
Henry Birch appointed to Responsible Gambling Trust board
Rank Group chief executive Henry Birch has joined the board of the Responsible Gambling Trust (RGT) as part of a trio of new appointments by the organisation.
The CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, Brigid Simmonds, will join Birch as a trustee on the board, replacing Genting chairman Peter Brooks and chairman of Hook Norton Brewery, Jonathan Paveley.
Annette Dale-Perera, a former strategic director of addiction and offender care in the NHS and a member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, has also joined the RGT as an independent trustee.
Birch’s appointment sees him join other gambling industry figureheads on the RGT board including William Hill chief executive James Henderson, who was appointed in May, and Remote Gambling Association chief executive Clive Hawkswood.
Ladbrokes appoints two new board committee members
Ladbrokes has announced the appointment of Sly Bailey and David Martin as members of its board committees.
Bailey, former chief executive of newspaper publisher Trinity, has been named a member of the operator’s social responsibility committee and will advise the firm on media relations and corporate reputation matters.
Meanwhile Martin, who is the current CEO of transport company Arriva, has been appointed as a member of Ladbrokes’ audit committee and will replace the outgoing Darren Shapland.
Both Bailey and Martin are listed as current member of Ladbrokes executive board as non-executive directors.
Aristocrat promotes Matt Wilson to SVP of global gaming ops
US-based gaming supplier Aristocrat Technologies has appointed Matt Wilson to the position of senior vice president of global gaming operations.
The move sees Wilson step up from his previous role of senior vice president of sales and marketing, a position he had held since September 2014, but has been with the firm in various roles for a decade.
“Matt’s proven leadership and insight have been instrumental in driving Aristocrat’s recent momentum in the North American market,” Maureen Sweeny, Aristocrat Technologies chief commercial, said.
Aristocrat Technologies is the the US subsidiary of Australian gaming supplier Aristocrat Leisure.