- University of Oxford
1999-2002
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
Williams has a broad range of experience across PR, media and communications.
With 20 years of experience, Williams has represented some of the top brands in the business, including a 12-year stint with Ladbrokes that saw him climb the ladder to become Media Relations Director.
Following on from this, Williams was appointed as the Director of Public Affairs for The Rank Group in December 2018, where he remains to this day.
EMPLOYMENT
After graduating from Oxford, Williams was employed as a Research Executive for Adelphi Values, where he remained for one year.
Following on from this, Williams made the move to Ladbrokes where he built his PR and Media expertise over 12 years.
He first joined the Ladbrokes company in September 2004 on a Gibraltar-based graduate programme. During this time, he was responsible for designing and delivering PR reports about opportunities for poker products.
Williams was offered the position of PR Executive in May 2005. He held this role for less than a year before being promoted to the position of Senior PR Executive in January 2006.
As Senior PR Executive at Ladbrokes, Williams was involved in a number of notable achievements, including the company becoming the first high-street bookmaker to secure a regular slot on Sky Sports.
In 2009, Williams was promoted to the position of Head of Consumer PR in April 2009, a position that he held until May 2015.
The end of his time with Ladbrokes saw Williams moving up the ranks once again as Media Relations Director. This role involved him representing the company on a large scale and having a noteworthy presence in the public eye, including over 600 appearances on national television.
Finally, Williams joined The Rank Group as the Director of Public Affairs in December 2018, a position that he still currently holds. Here, Williams is responsible for the regulatory framework and parliamentary engagement strategy for the company as well as managing all of their public affairs.
Upon Williams being appointed into this position, The Rank Group’s CEO, John O’Reilly, stated: “David brings a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise to the group and I am delighted that we have secured him to fulfil what will be a pivotal role as we reposition Rank for success. His energy and passion for our industry, coupled with a track-record of delivering successful results will stand us in good stead for the regulatory challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
Since undertaking the position, Williams has been responsible for managing and creating working relationships with external stakeholders as well as communicating with media outlets.
After the Cheltenham Festival returned following a two-year Covid-induced break, for example, Williams spoke exclusively to Gambling Insider, noting: “It’s been the longest two years that any of us can remember, but returning to Cheltenham, for many of us, feels like coming home. There is nothing more life-affirming than a day in the sunshine with 70,000 other people determined to have nothing but a rattling good time.”
“Ensuring that our public affairs, social positioning and industry relations are compelling and in-tune with wider regulatory affairs has never been so significant.” David Williams
