People news 18 December 2014

Betfred finance director Nightingale exits

Barry Nightingale leaves operator to join airline Monarch with his role handed to finance controller Nicola Barr

Betfred Group finance director Barry Nightingale is to step down from his role next month with the firm promoting finance controller Nicola Barr as his replacement.

Nightingale, who joined Betfred in 2008, has decided to take up a senior finance position at British airline company Monarch – a return to an industry where he previously spent ten years with charter airline Airtours.

During his time at Betfred, Nightingale oversaw the operator’s £265m acquisition and subsequent integration of the Tote in 2011 and has seen Betfred’s group revenues rise to more than £8bn.

Nightingale’s successor Barr joined Betfred in 2006 as call centre and internet financial accountant before rising up through the firm to assume her current position.

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Fortuna appoints Jaroslava Hirschová as CFO

Central and Eastern European operator Fortuna has appointed Jaroslava Hirschová as its new chief financial officer to replace the outgoing Michal Vepřek.

Hirschová joins having spent more than 20 years in the financial services sector, serving at firms including GE Capital Bank and Slovakia-based Prima Bank, and will join former Gala Coral MD and new Fortuna CEO Per Widerstrom on board the operator’s new management team.

Vepřek is to leave the firm on 31 December after more than five years at Fortuna, completing a trio of senior departures at Fortuna with CMO Zdenek Lang and CEO Radim Haluza having also left.

“Together with Jaroslava, we will jointly work on implementation of key processes and in the upcoming periods we would like to utilize all potentials for a further growth of the Company,” Widerstrom said.

Former Bally CEO Richard Haddrill handed Scientific Games role

Former Bally Technologies chief executive Richard Haddrill has been named executive vice chairman of Scientific Games’ board following its acquisition by the gambling supplier.

Haddrill was formally elected at a board meeting on 4 December and Scientific Games has confirmed he will sit on the company’s executive and finance committees, assisting the company’s in “realising business and financial objectives in connection with the integration of Bally”.

He will also be tasked with focusing on new business development and is to provide strategic guidance to Scientific Games’ management team, headed up by CEO Gavin Isaacs.

Crown Resorts director Ashok Jacob resigns

Australia-facing operator Crown Resorts has announced the resignation of group director Ashok Jacob from its board.

Crown CEO James Packer revealed Jacob had resigned while announcing a joint venture partnership with Matt Tripp’s BetEasy and paid testament to his “valuable contribution” to the operator.

Jacob joined Crown as a director in July 2007 but has held a long partnership with the Packer family having also chaired the Packer’s fund management firm Ellerston Capital.

Australia’s The Australian has claimed Jacob’s departure stems from Packer’s decision last month to appoint Rob Bankin as Crown Resort’s co-chairman with the newspaper was “wary” over the former investment banker’s hiring.

McArthur-Muscroft named new Optimal Payments CFO

Payment solutions provider Optimal Payments has appointed Brian McArthur-Muscroft as the group’s new CFO, replacing Keith Butcher who is to step down from the position on 1 January.

Butcher is standing down after more than three-and-a-half years at the firm but is to stay on until March 31^st in order to oversee an “orderly transition”, and Optimal CEO Joel Leonoff praised Butcher as having overseen a substantial turnaround in the business.

“On behalf of the board of directors and the entire company, I want to thank Keith for his dedication and contribution over the past four and a half years as CFO of Optimal Payments,” Leonoff said.