Ladbrokes reveals new chairman

Kelly has been appointed as chairman of Ladbrokes and will take over from Peter Erskine with immediate effect, after being tasked with finding Erskine’s replacement himself.

Kelly, a former chairman of Gala Coral, joined Ladbrokes as a non-executive director and senior independent director in 2010 and will be the chair of the enlarged Ladbrokes Coral when the planned merger of Ladbrokes and Gala Coral is complete.

It was announced in May that Erskine would be stepping down from the position of chairman, a role he has been in since 2009, and the operator said that Kelly would be leading the search to find a new chairman.

Ladbrokes and Gala Coral said when confirming the recommended merger in July that Kelly would take over as non-executive chairman of Ladbrokes Coral.

Kelly’s appointment marks another change in management at Ladbrokes this year, after Jim Mullen stepped up from managing director of Ladbrokes Digital to replace Richard Glynn as CEO in April, and Mullen will be CEO of Ladbrokes Coral.

Further changes have been made to the Ladbrokes board, as Mark Pain, chairman and non-executive of London Square Developments, has been appointed as chair of the audit committee.

Sly Bailey, who joined Ladbrokes as a non-executive director in 2009 and is a former chief executive of Trinity Mirror, will be chair of the social responsibility committee as Kelly has ceased to be a member of the committee.

Ladbrokes said it will search for additional non-executive directors to join the board prior to the completion of the merger.