With comings and goings commonplace across the industry, the UK Gambling Commission, NorthStar Gaming and Entain are among those to have bolstered their teams.
UKGC
The UK Secretary of State has appointed seven Commissioners to the UK Gambling Commission.
Charles Counsell, Helen Dodds, Sheree Howard and Claudia Mortimore have been appointed for five-year terms, while Lloydette Bai-Marrow, Helen Philips and David Rossington will serve for four years.
Counsell is a policy expert on public finances who previously served as CEO of The Pensions Regulator from 2019 to 2023. An international lawyer, Dodds currently serves on the board of the Human Tissue Authority, the St John’s Eye Hospital Group, and as a Director of LegalUK.
Criminal law expert Mortimore is a former executive of the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office. Howard is a 25-year executive in corporate finance and currently serves as the current executive director of Risk and Compliance for the Financial Conduct Authority.
Phillips is an expert in public health and the management of non-profit organisations and is the current Chair of NHS Professionals Ltd and the Chartered Insurance Institute. Bai-Marrow is an economic crime lawyer and the Founding Partner of Parametric Global Consulting.
Rossington is a former senior civil servant who has worked on transformation projects for DCMS and other departments.
Entain
Entain has appointed Amanda Brown as an independent Non-Executive Director, effective November 8. She will also become a member of the Remuneration Committee.
Before stepping down in 2022, Brown was Chief Human Resources Officer at Hiscox. She is currently a Non-Executive Director and Remuneration Committee Chair of Mitchells & Butlers and a Non-Executive Director and Chair Designate of the Remuneration Committee at the Manchester Airport Group.
Barry Gibson, Chairman of Entain, said: “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Amanda to Entain. Amanda brings a wealth of international business and board experience. I am confident that her skills and expertise will further enhance the Board’s ability to support and oversee the delivery of our strategy.
Wizard Games
NeoGames subsidiary Wizard Games has appointed Megan Easey as its Director of Operations.
Easey has previously held leading roles at Videoslots, Betsson Group and Betway, as well as an operational excellence advisor for several organisations.
As Director of Operations, she will be in charge of Wizard Games’ operational strategy, optimising operational processes with a focus on partnerships, compliance, data analysis and risk management.
Easey commented on her new role: “I’m thrilled to be joining Wizard Games at such a pivotal time, as the company gears up for some exciting developments in 2024 and beyond.
“The team has been extremely welcoming, and I couldn’t be happier to be working alongside such fantastic, talented people. I’m ready to hit the ground running, and I’m excited to be a part of Wizard Games’ story.”
NorthStar Gaming
NorthStar Gaming has announced that, effective December 1, CFO Jennifer Barber will resign from the company to pursue another opportunity.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Jennifer for her contributions at an important time in our Company’s development,” noted Michael Moskowitz, Chair and CEO of NorthStar Gaming.
“She played a key role in our public listing process, the Slapshot Media acquisition and the establishment of our financial reporting functions. We wish Jennifer the best as she moves into a financial leadership role in a new sector.”
Chin Dhushenthen – current Vice President, Finance and Compliance – will replace Barber, assuming the role of interim CFO. Dhushenthen is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 25 years of executive experience across finance, compliance, risk management and technology.
Moskowitz continued: “We anticipate a seamless transition to Chin as Interim CFO. He has great familiarity with our operations, having previously led our finance team and establishing our compliance system that meets the strict standards of our igaming license.”
GiG
Gaming Innovation Group has announced Andrew Cochrane as its new Chief Business Officer for Platform & Sportsbook.
A customer relations expert, Cochrane has previously held key roles for SBTech and DraftKings. He will be responsible for implementing GiG’s commercial strategies across its igaming platform, sportsbook and AI-anchored solutions, including business development, marketing, partnerships and corporate development.
Cochrane commented: “This is an extremely exciting time to be joining GiG. I have already been highly impressed with the ambitious plans in place, and in its capacity for raising the bar, building innovative and best-in-class solutions.
“Having been part of teams that have delivered significant results within online gaming, and with the promise of further investment to continue to strengthen our offering, I have similar optimism for success at GiG. We’re on the cusp of delivering something really special, so you can expect to hear a lot more about us over the coming months.”
