Technology key to William Hill future, says CEO
New boss James Henderson highlights the importance of technology in the company's development as a multi-channel "international gambling group"
New William Hill CEO James Henderson has placed technology at the heart of the UK operator’s blueprint as he looks to enhance the firm’s reputation as a multi-channel international operator.
In his first analyst presentation since taking the reins from outgoing CEO Ralph Topping, Henderson said he was focused on developing William Hill into a strong “international gambling group”.
Henderson highlighted the “emerging trend in multi-channel usage in the UK” and said the aim was to have a “one customer proposition” where consumers could enjoy the same experience via any product or outlet.
“Multi-channel customers are inclined to spend more and, if we get this right, it’ll mean higher yields, higher retention, lower ,” he said. “We’re starting to use technology to drive multichannel, but this is only scraping the surface,” Henderson added.
The presentation followed a 12% year-on-year rise in H2 2014 online net revenues after the company’s gaming business continued to record strong growth, while William Hill’s remote channels provided 52% of overall Group profit.
The Gibraltar-licensed operator opened up a new technological “centre of excellence” in East London late last year to help facilitate its plans and develop new mobile products.
“A lot of people won’t think of William Hill as having any great strength in technology”¦ [but] our trading platform is largely proprietary [and] the Vegas platform is outstanding, today generating as much revenues for us as Playtech’s casino,” Henderson said.
The former group operations director said although William Hill Online would maintain some supplier deals, it needed to “reduce its reliance on third-party partners”.
As part of its renewed focus on in-house development the company revealed it was in the midst of a technological initiative called Project Trafalgar, which will bring changes to the website’s front-end management in order to increase the product’s flexibility and speed.
Henderson said he was keen for the firm was to leverage its existing capabilities in other markets while also ramping up its presence in its five core regulated markets of the UK, US, Australia, Spain and Italy.
“We’ve cut our teeth into the toughest gambling markets in the world and I think we can deliver,” Henderson said.
“We are perfectly placed to bite off a little bit more,” he added.