William Hill appoints industry veteran Roger Devlin as new chairman
SIS chairman and Football Association exec will officially replace outgoing chairman Gareth Davis on 2 April 2018
William Hill has appointed SIS chairman and Football Association executive Roger Devlin as the operator’s new chairman, replacing Gareth Davis who steps down on 2 April.
Industry veteran Devlin will join the board and become chairman designate with effect from 1 February and will officially take over from Davis in April following an induction and handover period.
Devlin is currently chairman of pub operator and brewer Marston’s PLC, as well as non-executive director of the FA and chairman of betting supplier SIS, where Hills is a 19.5% shareholder.
He was also previously chairman of gaming operator and developer Gamesys between 2006 and 2016 and held senior and board level roles at Hilton Group when Ladbrokes was part of the company.
“William Hill is a business and brand I have greatly admired during my years in the leisure sector and more recently as Chair of SIS,” Devlin said.
“I recognise that there are both immediate challenges to address for the industry and considerable medium and longer term opportunities for the Group, and I look forward to working with Philip Bowcock, his executive team and the Board to deliver further progress for the Group and shareholders.”
Current chairman Gareth Davis will step down from his role on 2 April 2018
Devlin replaces Gareth Davis who announced his planned departure last year and has been chairman of the London-listed bookmaker since 2010.
“I have greatly enjoyed my time at William Hill and am pleased the business is on a strong footing, continues to grow and has established strategic positions in key international markets,” Davis said.
“I will be working closely with Roger Devlin in the coming months to introduce him to the business before I step down as planned and I wish Roger all the best for his future at what is a great company,” he added.