Rank hires new CIO and chief transformation officer to drive new tech projects
CEO John O’Reilly says omni-channel product complexities are being sorted and the development should have been simpler
Rank has shifted its senior management and established a new role of chief transformation officer in an effort to drive digital growth and overhaul its product offering.
Former CIO at Travelodge, Jonathan Greensted, has replaced Phil Moyes as group CIO to lead future technology developments.
Rank CEO John O’Reilly, who is 14 weeks into his position, told EGR: “Tech and tech development is a key part of our business and our ability to [carry out] projects effectively in the tech space is a key part of what we do.
“A lot of our product offering is delivered to our customers through technology so not having strength in that space is not very smart so he is a good addition to the team.”
A 2% decrease in operating profits for the company’s online arm in FY 2018 was attributed to a delay in launching the operator’s single-wallet omni-channel function.
“The delay was due to the complexity of the project. We built a complex set of user journeys. If it had been my project from the outset I would have done it in a simpler way,” O’Reilly said.
O’Reilly said the product, built in part with various third-party suppliers, would launch in H2 and would tie up online and retail memberships.
Jim Marsh also joins the operator’s exec team as chief transformation officer, from consultancy firm McKinsey.
O’Reilly said Marsh would be responsible for providing a governance framework and “the weekly cadence that ensures we are doing what we say we’re going to do”.
The operator will imminently launch its new Best Odds Bingo product on Mecca’s site. O’Reilly said the game would give “every customer an equal chance of winning”.
Rank Group’s UK digital business grew 9.9% last year as overall revenue fell by 2.3% to £741m and profits plummeted by more than 40% in FY18.