People news 20 March 2014
The latest people news from the egaming industry in the last seven days (14 March to 20 March 2014)
Playtech appoints new head of bingo
Gary Keaney replaces Rhys Owen who has left to join location-based lottery GeoLotto
Playtech has promoted Gary Keaney to the role of head of bingo following the departure of Rhys Owen, eGaming Review has learned.
Owen had headed-up Playtech’s bingo team for more than four years after joining as part of the company’s 2010 acquisition of bingo product development firm Virtue Fusion, where he was head of product for nearly two years.
eGR understands Owen left his role at the Israeli egaming provider before Christmas and has since joined location-based UK lottery GeoLotto.
The newly-appointed head of bingo Gary Keaney originally joined Playtech in 2009 as an account manager before taking up the role of senior account manager/operations in October 2012.
Gala Coral creates corporate affairs director role
Gala Coral has appointed Fiona Thorne to the newly created role of corporate affairs director as the Group looks to improve its communications strategy.
Thorne will join the management team at Gala Coral in April having been chief executive at communications agency Fishburn Hedges for 16 years up until her departure last September.
In her new role, Thorne will be responsible for the development and delivery of the firm’s communication strategy including public affairs, financial PR, corporate positioning and issues management.
Seven days in people news:
Endemol Games appoints new UK MD
Endemol Games has appointed Owain Walbyoff as its new UK managing director following the relocation of its former MD Jurian van der Meer to its Dutch office.
As reported earlier this week, van der Meer is to become commercial director at Endemol Netherlands to head up the firm’s efforts ahead of the Dutch market opening up next year, and it has now been revealed that Owain Walbyoff will succeed him.
Walbyoff had served as Endemol Games commercial director but will now assume van der Meer’s position, reporting to Endemol UK CEO Lucas Church.
UK regulator hires industry veterans ahead of PoC
The UK Gambling Commission has moved to strengthen its senior team with the hire of two industry veterans as the regulator gears-up to implement its new online regulatory framework this summer.
Ladbrokes customer services director Sue Harley and Roger Parkes, former director of group compliance at Betfair, have both joined the regulator to provide expertise and insight to support the Commission’s work in regulating remote gambling operators based offshore.
Harley has joined the Commission on a fixed-term contract to cover the maternity leave of Sarah Gardner, the regulator’s director of planning and performance.
Rank independent director Child stands down
Rank Group chairman and CEO Ian Burke is to lead the search for a new senior independent director following the resignation of Colin Child.
Child has resigned from his position with immediate effect after little more than two years with the company, having joined the board on 1 January 2012.
“On behalf of the board of Rank I would like to thank Colin for his commitment and hard work during his time with Rank,” Burke said. “The board is extremely sorry to see him go.”
Slots and table games provider Realistic Games has announced the appointment of Abid Riaz as sales and account manager in Gibraltar.
Riaz previously held commercial roles at Betsson and Ladbrokes and joins Realistic Games after the firm was recently awarded a Gibraltar B2B remote gambling licence.
“The new office with Abid in charge will be a major factor in attracting new clients with our aim, as ever, to acquire the very best,” commercial director, Andy Harris, said.
“He is commercially-astute as well as being customer-focussed, and brings with him some great contacts and experience from around the world. I’ve no doubt he is a great addition.”