888 has announced the appointment of Sean Wilkins as Chief Financial Officer, effective from February 1, 2024.
Wilkins will be replacing the incumbent Yariv Dafna, who will be stepping down from his role and from his position on the board on October 2.
Dafna will be handing over CFO duties to Group Chief Strategy Officer Vaughan Lewis, who will serve as the company’s interim CFO until Wilkins takes up the role.
Commenting on his new role, Wilkins said: “Having worked in the regulated online betting and gaming industry over recent years, I have followed 888 closely. Following its transformational acquisition of William Hill, the Group has all the ingredients for long-term success: outstanding brands, technology and people.
“The Board has set out very clear plans to create significant shareholder value and I am really looking forward to being part of the leadership team to deliver these plans and achieve the group’s clear potential.”
Wilkins has previously served in CFO roles at private and public companies over the past 17 years, most recently holding the position of Group CFO at omni-channel betting and gaming firm Superbet.
He has also held CFO roles at several consumer-facing businesses including Big Bus Tours, Domino’s Pizza Group PLC, Tesco Malaysia, Tesco Telecom and O2 Asia.
“The board is delighted to announce the appointment of Sean as the group’s new CFO following a thorough search process,” stated Lord Mendelsohn, Executive Chair of 888.
“In addition to having an in-depth understanding of the betting and gaming industry, Sean brings a wealth of relevant experience gained in CFO roles at international businesses, where he has demonstrated a strong track record of value creation.
“Alongside Per Widerström – the group’s new CEO who joins on 16 October – and the rest of the leadership team, the board is highly confident that the group has an outstanding executive team in place with the right skills and capabilities to deliver the group’s clear strategic plans and priorities.
“I am also pleased that Vaughan will assume the role of Interim CFO over the coming months, ensuring we continue to drive forward and maximise our potential.”
Mendelsohn also thanked Dafna for his services to 888 over the past three years, including with the acquisition of William Hill.
“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Yariv for his important contributions to the business in the last three years, including playing a crucial role in the completion of our transformational combination with William Hill and the successful integration of the businesses, and also for providing stability in the role of CFO over recent months while we searched for a permanent successor. We wish him every success in his future endeavours.”
