Gala Coral games MD Longbottom quits
Gala Coral bingo and casino managing director Simon Longbottom is leaving the business to re-join the pub trade, the second major change to the executive line-ups of UK operators this week.
GALA CORAL BINGO and casino managing director Simon Longbottom has quit the business.
Longbottom is understood to be returning to the pub sector, from which he joined the UK bingo giant in 2004 from a job as director and general manager at Ember Inns, part of the Mitchells and Butlers UK pub group.
Longbottom will be replaced on an interim basis at Gala Coral by Mark Sergeant, commercial director of the gaming division. The company said Longbottom’s departure was unrelated to plans to refinance Gala Coral’s £540m debt burden.
The news follows the same week as William Hill group finance director Simon Lane quit the business, less than three weeks after he had overseen William Hill’s £300m bond issue. Lane will be replaced by Neil Cooper, currently group finance director for Bovis Homes.