Rank Group in management reshuffle

Rank Group has been forced into a management reshuffle after managing director of its Grosvenor Casinos brand Phil Urban announced he was leaving the firm.

Urban, who has served as MD of Grosvenor Casinos for the past six years, will leave his position at the end of the month to become chief operating officer at pub and restaurant operator Mitchells & Butlers.

As a result of Urban’s departure, Mecca Bingo managing director Mark Jones will switch brands at Rank and lead the Grosvenor Casinos business while Rank said it would look to appoint an external candidate to succeed Jones at Mecca.

Former Pizza Hut UK CEO Jones originally joined the Rank Group in 2009, and CEO Henry Birch has backed his ability to take the Grosvenor brand “to the next level”.

“Over the last five years, Mark has successfully led Mecca Bingo, stabilising our retail business and overseeing the growth of our digital operation, establishing meccabingo.com as a leader in its market,” Birch said.

Jones said he was joining Grosvenor Casinos at a “very exciting time in the evolution of the brand” and would look to “showcase what we have to offer to a much wider audience”.

Rank has made a number of management changes in recent months with former William Hill Online CEO Henry Birch recruited to replace Ian Burke while Colin Cole-Johnson was appointed to lead the group’s digital arm.