GVC commercial director departs for NetEnt UK MD role

GVC commercial director Andy Whitworth has left the operator to take up a new role as UK managing director at NetEnt.

Whitworth is the second high-profile executive to make switch between the two companies in recent weeks, after GVC director of product Rob Fell joined NetEnt last month.

Whitworth, who will take up the new role in July, said: “I am hugely honored to be joining Netent at such an exciting time of innovation and development of multiple new products, I am looking forward to working with the existing team and valued customers to drive the business forward

A GVC spokesperson added: “We thank Andy for the huge contribution he has made to the business and wish every success at NetEnt,”

Andy Whitworth

Whitworth has been replaced at GVC by Obdulio Bacarese, whose new title is director of commercial management (product).

Obdulio has been in this post for a few weeks, according to GVC, and has taken over from Whitworth in leading on GVC’s commercial partnerships.

Obdulio moved over from his previous position as finance director for the group and prior to that, head of finance for bwin.party.

The move continues a period of change among the GVC management team. At the end of May, the firm created two new managing director roles following the departures of Ladbrokes Coral COO Andy Hornby and UK digital MD Mark Kemp.

GVC’s finance transformation director, Simon Hay, was also announced as Nektan’s new CFO this week.

The firm came under pressure from investors yesterday, with 42% of shareholders voting against the remuneration package for GVC management.