Key points:
- Several Entain investors have backed Stella David to become the permanent company CEO
- David has held the position of Interim CEO twice in the past two years
- While many support the suggestion, some speculate whether this is something David herself would be interested in
Entain investors are backing Interim CEO Stella David to take on a permanent CEO role within the company, as the operator approaches three months since the resignation of former CEO Gavin Isaacs.
David first took to the role in December 2023 after the resignation of former CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen. Her resignation followed a particular rough patch for the operator, with Nygaard-Andersen facing backlash from investors over ‘uninspiring’ M&A activity and a historic £585m ($737.4m) fine that November.
Gavin Isaacs then took the CEO role in September 2024, though he too has since stepped down, leaving less than a year later in February 2025. Entain has continued its search for a permanent CEO while David has helmed the company.
Now, several investors have spoken out in favour of keeping David in the role. This has been reported by the Financial Times but corroborated to Gambling Insider by those close to Entain.
One shareholder said: “We would welcome the continuity that Stella staying on as CEO would potentially bring. She knows the business, she comes across very well in meetings. Given the alternative – a new chair and a new CEO – I’d much prefer to see Stella stay on in the CEO role and [for Entain to] appoint a new chair.”
Good to know: David has been with Entain since 2021, joining as a Senior Independent Director. She has held other director roles at Domino’s, Bacardi and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings throughout her career
Gambling Insider suggested such an outcome could be the case (along with a couple of other possibilities), though Star Sports priced the choice of David as a 5/1 favourite shortly after Isaacs' resignation.
However, others have questioned if this decision is one David would agree with. An investor said: “I think people like Stella and everybody wants her to stay... [but] there’s a debate about whether she wants to stay full time or not.”
At the time of writing, Entain’s stock price sits at £5.69 ($7.58). From close on Wednesday 23 April, this is a dip of 1.3%.
