Paddy Power hires Telefonica innovation head

Paddy Power has strengthened its marketing team after appointing former Telefonica new business innovation head Sarah Davies to the newly created role of director of marketing innovation.

Davies, who began her new role in September, is based at Paddy Power’s London office where she reports into Paddy Power’s recently installed chief marketing officer Gav Thompson.

Paddys said Davies would work alongside the operator’s innovation team and use customer insights and behaviours to create new ideas around how to drive new commercial opportunities for the business.

The appointment reunites Davies and Thompson after the pair had worked together during their time at Telefonica.

“Sarah has one of the brightest innovation brains out there,” Thompson said. “By looking at new ideas from the customers’ perspective, we are confident that Sarah will help the team unlock some different and exciting opportunities for us,” he added.

Davies said she was “excited” to join Paddy Power and had been attracted by the prospect of working for such a unique brand.

“It is a brave and distinctive brand, loved by punters, and is ideally poised to lead innovation within the gambling industry,” Davies said.

News of Davies’ appointment comes just weeks after Thompson selected Amsterdam-based marketing firm WE ARE Pi as its new ‘brand mischief’ agency.

In August Paddy Power ‘mischief champion’ Harry Dromey announced he had left the firm to join UK TV broadcaster Channel 4 as group marketing manager.

During the summer Paddy Power announced it was to merge with Betfair in a move which will see Betfair CEO Breon Corcoran head up the combined Paddy Power Betfair with Paddy Power chief Andy McCue installed as COO.