21 January 2019
GVC Holdings PLC
(“GVC”, the “Group”)
Senior Management Changes
GVC Holdings Plc, the multinational sports betting and gaming group, has today announced changes to its senior leadership team. Tom Ritzema has been appointed Group Trading Director, Nick Batram as Group Director of Corporate Strategy and Development, with Paul Tymms becoming Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications.
With more than eighteen years’ experience in bookmaking and trading, Tom Ritzema succeeds Jim Humberstone who has decided to step down from the Group. Tom joined GVC as Head of Trading, in April 2013 upon GVC’s acquisition of Sportingbet. Serving as Jim’s deputy as Group Head of Trading (2013-2018) and Sports Trading Director (2018-1019), Tom has played a leading role in the integration of the trading teams of bwin.party (acquired February 2016) and Ladbrokes Coral (acquired March 2018). Tom will report into the Group’s COO, Shay Segev.
Nick Batram takes on the new role of Group Director of Corporate Strategy and Development, where he will report directly into CEO Kenny Alexander, focusing on both M&A activity and the Group’s broader strategic direction. Nick joined the Group in 2016 as Director of Investor Relations and External Communications. He has over 30 years of expertise working in City-related finance with experience from both the buy-side and sell-side of capital markets.
Paul Tymms steps up to become Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, reporting in to Rob Wood, who as previously announced, becomes CFO on 5 March 2019. Paul joined the Group with the acquisition of Ladbrokes Coral, where he held the position of Director of Investor Relations. He held the same role at Coral prior to its merger with Ladbrokes in 2016 and was previously with the leisure group, TUI.
Jim Humberstone departs the Group to pursue new opportunities after nine years, having served as COO (2014-2016) and as Group Director of Trading following the bwin.party acquisition.
Kenny Alexander, GVC’s CEO commented:
“I am delighted with these appointments which demonstrate the strength and quality of our senior management team. Nick and Paul are both highly talented and experienced professionals who will help to guide our strategic development as we move forwards.
“In his role as Jim’s deputy, Tom has been integral to the success of the Group’s trading operations, which has been a key driver of our performance. When Jim told me that, after nearly a decade with us, he has decided he wanted to move on, Tom was the obvious candidate to succeed him. I’d like to put on record my thanks to Jim who has been fundamental to our journey from a small AIM listed operator, to our position today, as the world’s largest online-led sports betting and gaming business .”
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For further information:
Jay Dossetter
jdossetter@gvcgroup.com
About GVC
GVC Holdings PLC is one of the world’s largest sports betting and gaming groups, operating both online and in the retail sector. The Group owns a comprehensive portfolio of established brands; Sports Brands include bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes and Sportingbet; Gaming Brands include CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, partypoker and PartyCasino. The Group owns proprietary technology across all of its core product verticals and in addition to its B2C operations provides services to a number of third-party customers on a B2B basis. GVC acquired Ladbrokes Coral Group plc on 28 March 2018 and is now the UK’s largest high street bookmaker, with over 3,500 betting shops. The Group, incorporated in the Isle of Man, is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index and has licences in more than 20 countries, across five continents.
For more information see the Group's website: www.gvc-plc.com