Coral head of trading resigns

Coral head of trading Sam Foulkes has quit the firm, eGaming Review has learned.

Foulkes left Coral earlier this month having tendered his resignation in December and is now seeing out a period of gardening leave.

Speaking to eGaming Review this morning, Foulkes said it was the right time to move on.

“I am immensely proud of my achievements at Coral and after four years, I felt it was the right time for a new challenge,” Foulkes said.

“I’ve had a number of exciting work offers already and I’m expecting to take up a new role within the next few months,” he added.

A spokesperson for the operator confirmed Foulkes had left but that it had not yet appointed his successor, and was in no urgency to do so.

“Sam recently left Coral and we wish him the very best for the future,” the spokesperson said. “No decision been made on how to replace him but we have a strong team so we are not in any hurry to decide.”

News of Foulkes’ departure comes just five months after he had been promoted to the head of trading role, which saw him relocate from Coral’s Stratford headquarters to the operator’s Gibraltar offices.

The move was part of a wider restructuring of the sportsbook trading division which also saw Danny Greer become head of in-play and the trading division split to form separate in-play and pre-match pricing teams.

Foulkes joined Coral in 2012 after having previously spent eight years at rival William Hill, where he had held various roles including senior trader and head of in-play football.

Coral parent company Gala Coral is expected to complete its proposed merger with Ladbrokes during the summer. The transaction is currently under a phase two probe by the UK Competition and Markets Authority.