With comings and goings commonplace across the industry, Flutter Entertainment, OpenBet and Better Collective are among those to have bolstered their teams.
Better Collective
Better Collective North America has named Brandon Boone as Vice President, Communications Strategy & Public Relations. His remit is to lead all communications for the North American brand portfolio, including Action Network, RotoGrinders, VegasInsider.com, Playmaker HQ, and Canada Sports Betting.
He will also oversee the sports media group’s expansion into new states and, said the statement, “drive widespread recognition of the company’s contributions to the data, insights, and sports media communities”.
Action Network CEO Patrick Keane said: “Brandon brings an extensive and impressive track record of great experience, and we think he will be an exceptional leader for
“us. He cares deeply about telling stories that drive impact. We are eager to bring his strategic, creative, and collaborative approach to our team.”
Esports Entertainment Group has confirmed the promotion of Michael Villani to Chief Financial Officer, effective from 29 August.
Villani served as the interim CFO of EEG following the departure of Damian Mathews in January. Prior to this interim appointment, he had served as the financial controller for the Nasdaq-listed firm.
EEG highlighted Villani’s credentials, noting his nine-year tenure as a director and manager at the ‘Big-Four’ accountancy group, KPMG. Additionally, he led audits for Tiresias Capital, Harman International, and AIG Financial Products Corp.
“We have witnessed Michael’s leadership and operational and financial skills firsthand as we restructured the company over the past several months,” said Alex Igelman, Esports Entertainment CEO.
OpenBet
Sam Depoortere has been named Vice President of Platform Products at OpenBet, where he will be responsible for driving the sports betting provider’s platform solutions product strategy.
Previously, Depoortere was Marketing & Sportsbook Manager at TOTO, and he has also held positions with brands such as Betway and Media Odds.
Based in Athens, he will report directly to Nikos Konstakis, Chief Product Officer at OpenBet, taking charge of product lifecycle management.
“With Sam joining the ranks, we are poised for even greater success. His in-depth understanding of best practices and unparalleled industry experience makes him a valuable addition to the team,” noted Nikos Konstakis, Chief Product Officer at OpenBet.
“As we look to the future, we are confident that with Sam’s extensive experience and leadership qualities, OpenBet will continue to redefine the standards in sports betting entertainment.”
Flutter Entertainment
Mary Turner is to step down from the role of Non-Executive Director and all Committee appointments with effect from September 30, 2023, Flutter Entertainment has announced.
This will see Nancy Cruickshank step into the position of Chair of the Workforce Engagement Committee from October 1, 2023.
John Bryant, Chair of Flutter, noted: “I wish to take this opportunity to thank Mary for her exceptional contribution to the board. We wish her well for the future.”
Victoria Bonner has praised a company that boasts “one of the strongest visions I’ve been privileged to be part of” after disclosing that she is to join Raw iGaming as Head of Marketing.
Making the announcement on social media, she noted that “I’m thrilled to join the journey”, before adding “with so much to talk about, we’ve got a lot to do and I’m ready for it!”
In the role, Bonner will build on a wave of experience that has been built-up at the likes of NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Relax Gaming, Sportingtech and Gaming Corps.
