Following the departure of Jette Nygaard-Andersen as the group’s CEO, Entain announced that Stella David has been appointed as Interim CEO.
It’s one of five appointments for the group, with Pierre Bouchut also appointed as Senior Independent Director, Virginia McDowell named Chair of the Remuneration Committee, Barry Gibson becoming Chair of the People and Governance Committee and Rahul Welde taking the role as a member of the People and Governance Committee.
Barry Gibson, Chairman of Entain, said: “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted that Pierre has agreed to take on the role of Senior Independent Director to replace Stella. His extensive board experience and knowledge of the Company makes him ideally placed for the role of Senior Independent Director. I am also grateful to Virginia and Rahul that they have agreed to take on these additional responsibilities.”
Last week, Gibson praised the impact that the departing Nygaard-Andersen had on the company, stating: “Under Jette’s leadership, Entain has executed a fundamental strategic shift towards regulated or regulating markets, overhauled its governance, transformed its operations, and significantly improved its customer offering.”
Further reflecting on what was a challenging period for the firm, he added: “Jette’s decision to leave comes after the resolution of HMRC’s investigation into the Company’s legacy Turkish-facing business. She has offered exceptional leadership during what has been a hugely challenging period.
“It is no exaggeration to say that the HMRC investigation posed a number of threats to our Group. As the court last week recognised in approving a deferred prosecution agreement, had the matter not been resolved by way of a DPA, the consequences to the company and all of its stakeholders could have been disproportionate. The overhaul of the business model, strategy and culture of the Group in recent years was vital to securing the successful conclusion of a DPA process.
“We are all indebted to Jette for her dedication to steering the company through such a difficult time. She has also led the executive team in devising a new commercial strategy that I am confident will lead to stronger organic growth and a more profitable Entain. On a personal note, I am sorry to see Jette leave the business.”
David also noted at the time: “I have been a Director of Entain for almost three years and have seen up close the extraordinary hard work that Jette and her team have put in overhauling the culture and practices at Entain. I look forward to helping to build on the strong foundations for future commercial success that she leaves behind her.”
