People News 31 October 2013
The latest people moves from the egaming industry in the last seven days (25 October to 31 October 2013)
Former Hills COO Jim Mullen begins Ladbrokes role
Mullen begins role as managing director of Ladbrokes’ digital arm, sitting on the company’s executive committee
Former William Hill Online COO Jim Mullen has officially started his role as managing director of Ladbrokes’ digital business.
Mullen will sit alongside Ladbrokes directors Nick Rust and Damian Cope on the company’s executive committee, tasked with overseeing its products and platforms in the coming months.
His other duties will include heading up a digital board, which will also include representation from Ladbrokes Israel, as the UK-based operator looks to revive its online fortunes following consecutive quarters of poor performance.
Mullen agreed to join Ladbrokes in May, with CEO Richard Glynn describing the appointment as a “significant step” towards the company becoming a major player in the online gambling sector.
OpenBet sharpens product focus with senior appointment
OpenBet has appointed digital marketing veteran Joe Eldridge to the newly-created role of chief product officer.
Eldridge joins the sportsbook and gaming platform supplier from Amazon next month and will take responsibility for the company’s core product strategy and driving product innovation.
At Amazon he was the software development director for the web channel of Amazon Instant Video, leading the development teams responsible for the creation and innovative evolution of desktop, mobile, and tablet web interfaces on LOVEFiLM, Amazon, and IMDb sites.
William Hill to open tech-focussed London office
UK bookmaker William Hill is preparing to open a new office in East London to aid the growth of the company’s online business.
A spokesperson for William Hill confirmed the plans for a new office in the capital’s digital hub of Shoreditch to eGaming Review but said there was no date for its official opening at the current time.
The soon-to-be opened office will be the operator’s second London-based operation along with its headquarters in Wood Green, and comes following a significant investment in mobile from the operator.
32Red appoints new commercial director
Matthew Booth is to return to 32Red after a five-year absence next month to take up the newly-created position of commercial director.
Booth left his role as head of marketing at the operator in January 2008 to join Betfair, where he has held roles including head of marketing and commercial, UK commercial director and global head of brand.
32Red CEO Ed Ware said the appointment was a reflection of the company’s focus on leveraging its marketing budget, while also building its brand both in the UK and internationally.
Zynga has announced the appointment of former DeNA West CEO Clive Downie as its chief operating officer. Downie will join the San Francisco-based firm next month after spending a year in his previous role at DeNA’s American and European division, replacing former COO David Ko who left Zynga in August as part of a larger management overhaul.
In addition to his work at DeNA West, Downie previously spent more than 15 years at Electronic Arts holding a number of roles including vice-president marketing and business manager for Central Europe.
Gaming technology provider Win Systems has hired Ronald DÃaz as commercial director for Peru with the intention of strengthening its position in the Peruvian market. Diaz, who joins the company after spending eight years at Spielo, said: Win Systems offers excellent products and services which is the best possible support for my aims to strengthen the sales force in Peru”.