People news 13 June 2013
The latest people moves from the egaming industry in the last seven days (07 June to 13 June 2013)
CEO leaves struggling Holland Casino
Dick Flink leaves after monopoly operator posts heavy losses in 2012 results
Holland Casino, the Dutch monopoly operator gearing up for its first online launch, has parted ways with its CEO Dick Flink just one month after posting full-year losses of more 600,000.
Having joined the operator in 2007, Flink had most recently began implementing plans for its online gambling site, setting its sights on a 2015 launch. However botched requests for proposals (RFP) for its primary online supplier and disappointing full-year results have put the state-owned operator in a difficult position.
The operator was forced to re-start the selection process for its online gaming supplier and released a tender document in April after it was forced to discontinue a previous RFP when no bidder met the required criteria.
No successor for Flink has been announced, but Holland Casino said in a statement the organisation was in need of “fundamental and structural reforms”.
Seven days in people move:
Caesars Interactive appoints Robinson as director of new markets
Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE) has appointed former independent gaming consultant Scarlet Robinson to the newly created role of director of new markets as it ramps up its focus on real-money gaming.
Paddy Power boosts marketing clout with new hires
Paddy Power has strengthened its marketing team with the appointment of a new sportsbook marketing manager and a new addition to its ‘mischief’ department.
Former John Lewis brand marketing manager Anna Braithwaite joins the Irish operator’s sportsbook marketing team with responsibility for leading Paddy Power’s horse-racing and football brand campaigns. Meanwhile, ex-Beattie McGuiness Bungay account director Harry Dromey will work under head of mischief Ken Robertson.
Commenting on the new hires marketing director Christian Woolfenden told Marketing magazine the pair “will make fantastic additions to the team, each bringing with them a wealth of top-level experience and, most importantly, a good sense of fun.
“They will be central to ensuring Paddy Power continues to wow, excite and entertain audiences,” he added.
Rainer Jacken has announced that he is to resign from the supervisory board of mybet after the operator’s Ordinary Shareholders’ Meeting on 18 July to pursue other opportunities. Jacken was the founder of the marketing agency Designgruppe TRANSPARENT which evolved into a lotteries and gaming business, launching Germany’s first online lottery under the JAXX brand in 1998.
Antje Stoltenberg, chairman of mybet’s supervisory board, described Jacken as “the father of mybet” and “one of the pioneers of online gambling in Germany.”
“We thank him for his unwavering commitment and the energy that he has put into mybet and online gaming,” Stoltenberg added. “We will maintain our association with him as both a partner and a friend, and wish him every success in his new venture.”