Key points:
- Star Sports has produced a list of odds for the next Entain CEO
- Current interim CEO Stella David leads with odds of 5/1
- A range of Entain executives and faces from around the industry have also been listed
Star Sports has published odds on who is most likely to become the next Entain CEO following the exit of Gavin Isaacs on Tuesday 11 February.
Stella David, the current interim CEO (and former interim CEO before Isaacs' appointment following the exit of former CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen in December 2023) has the highest odds of taking the role at 5/1. This is understandable, given she now has two instances of running the business under her belt.
Following behind her is Entain Commercial Managing Director Andy Hicks at 6/1. With over five years of experience with Entain in various managing roles, as well as a combined 10 years of experience with Coral and Ladbrokes Coral (now under Entain), Hicks is certainly qualified for the position.
Entain CFO and Deputy CEO Rob Wood has also been named as a potential candidate, with odds of 7/1.
However, several other industry-leader names have also been thrown into the ring by Star Sports. At 7/1 it placed BetVictor CEO Andreas Meinrad, while BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt was placed with odds of 12/1.
We spoke to Greenblatt last year in The Huddle, where we discussed his career including a seven-year tenure with Ladbrokes. He said: “What I learned along the journey was the importance of organisational design. It doesn't sound glamorous or fancy, but having the right people in the right places and structurally organising yourselves to ensure no bottlenecks in the process; everyone's clear on roles and responsibilities. The importance of that is one of the key lessons I took from my experience at Ladbrokes.”
Good to know: BetMGM has released its FY24 financial results. In total, FY24 revenue was up 7% to $2.1bn, primarily driven by a 13% increase in iGaming revenue.
Other execs to make the cut include former Entain CCO Dominic Grounsel and current Betfred CEO Joanne Whittaker, both with odds of 12/1. Betting and Gaming Council CEO Grainne Hurst has also been listed as a potential candidate, at odds of 14/1.
