People news 09/08/12
A round up of industry moves from the last week (3 August to 9 August 2012).
Lads reshuffles exec team again as online profit halves
Online profit falls to £15m in H1 2012 “ Glynn initiates third restructure of executive team since joining business in 2010.
The delayed launch of Ladbrokes’ new sportsbook, trading, mobile and CRM platforms has led to online profits halving in a year, forced CEO Richard Glynn (pictured) to restructure his executive team for the third time in two years and admit that only a “concerted effort” will improve “disappointing digital revenues”.
Announcing first half results and following the firing of head of product Richard Ames, Glynn reshuffled his key lieutenants for the third time since he joined the business from Sporting Index in April 2010. In a new “flatter” structure, according to chairman Peter Erskine, from today former Ladbrokes director of channels Nick Rust assumes responsibility for both retail and online P&L in the UK and Ireland with recent appointment and former Gala Coral executive Damian Cope in charge of international P&L and head of IT Mark Grimes solely focused on delivering the £50m technology projects Glynn instigated last year.
The restructuring sees Glynn take direct responsibility for technology and trading. Ladbrokes is “in the final stages” of appointing a replacement for trading director John Thompson, who is currently appealing his dismissal.
Exclusive: Andy Wright leading candidate to join Ladbrokes as head of trading
Ladbrokes is in the process of finalising terms with Andy Wright, Betclic Everest’s sportsbook director, to become its new head of trading following the dismissal of Jon Thompson in June, eGaming Review can exclusively reveal.
Wright, who has worked for three gaming and sportsbook operators in the last six years is known to have resigned from the troubled French operator after it reported losses of 90m last year.
A Ladbrokes spokesman told eGR the company was “close to appointing” Wright and that it was simply a matter of “agreeing contracts and a start date”.
Wright has had senior trading experience at Betclic Everest, Stan James and Blue Square, however within that time he has held six different job titles spending no more than a year in five out of six of these positions.
Seven days in people moves:
Two board changes for MediaCorp
Media Corporation has appointed Clive Eplett as its new head of finance, replacing Nilesh Jagatia who left the company earlier this week after five years in the role.
Meanwhile Mark Butt, managing director of MediaCorp’s advertising arm Eyeconomy, has been appointed to the company’s board. As well as his directorship with Eyeconomy, Butt previously served as a director of Butt Media, which was placed into compulsory liquidation in 2004 and completed the following year.
He oversaw the renewal of Eyeconomy’s deal to provide all third-party advertising for Express Newspapers in December last year, a partnership worth approximately £1m a year since 2009 and described by Eyeconomy as being “Expected to generate similar revenues going forward.”
Scientific Games appoints new gaming division COO
Scientific Games has announced the appointment of Robert White as chief operating officer of its gaming division.
White had been group strategy director of Scientific Games’ gaming division since October 2011. Prior to joining Scientific Games he spend 12 years at IGT, including most recently as VP & managing director of IGT UK, leading the sale of the games supplier’s Barcrest subsidiary to Scientific Games.
He will retain his existing responsibility for the development of the gaming division’s overall business strategy, including its social media and merger and acquisition strategy, while also taking on responsibility for content and product development, yield management and corporate marketing.