Kovach leaves Ladbrokes for Camelot

Ladbrokes’ head of international and mobile Alex Kovach is leaving after nearly six years with the bookmaker to take up a new board position as MD of global services for UK lottery operator Camelot.

Previously CEO of international development until group CEO Richard Glynn reshuffled his executive team late last year, Kovach was one of the key architects of Ladbrokes international strategy from 2005 , which included leading joint venture agreements in China, Turkey and South Africa, the acquisition of Sponsio, its betting and gaming partner for the Nordic region, and costlier projects including the company’s foray into Spain. He also worked alongside Glynn on his Project Galvanise restructuring programme.

When contacted regarding Kovach’s departure, a Ladbrokes spokesman told eGaming Review: “I can confirm that is the case and I wish him well.” He added that Ladbrokes was in the process of looking for a successor both internally and externally.

Kovach will join Camelot in April and leaves the operator only a few months after Glynn installed Gary McIlraith as director of digital channels, international and strategy in late 2010, hinting at possible crossover between part of the two executive’s responsibilities.

Kovach is currently on leave but told eGaming Review he was “very excited” to be joining Camelot but that he was very proud of his time at Ladbrokes highlighting in particular his work in China, on Project Galvanise and more recently on the bookmaker’s mobile expansion.

Ladbrokes has yet to make a public statement on whether or not it still intends to apply for a licence in Denmark, a key territory in the Nordic region that the operator identified back in 2007 as one of three main Continental markets to be targeted for future expansion, alongside Italy and Spain.