Ladbrokes Coral management go head-to-head for top jobs

Senior figures at Ladbrokes and Gala Coral will go head-to-head in the coming weeks as they attempt to secure management roles at the soon-to-be combined firm, eGaming Review understands.

In a document outlining the rationale behind the merger, circulated internally last month, staff were informed an interview process would begin in August to determine who will fill the top posts at the enlarged firm.

The anticipated merger will see a duplication of many senior roles, although some positions appear to be sewn-up with Ladbrokes’ Kristof Fahy expected to be confirmed as CMO and Ladbrokes currently operating without a head of football.

The interviews, which will be conducted by Ladbrokes and Gala Coral CEOs Jim Mullen and Carl Leaver, appear to show both firms are confident the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will rubber-stamp the deal by its 19 August deadline.

The merger was given a boost in May when the CMA gave provisional approval to the deal on the basis the two firms disposed of 350-400 high street shops – a figure much lower than some had anticipated.

A spokesperson for Ladbrokes refused to be drawn on the planned interview process and would only say “merger efforts are focused on working with the CMA towards approval”. Gala Coral declined to comment.

Last month EGR revealed Ladbrokes was preparing to leave its Harrow-based HQ, its home since 1990, in order to move to the opposite side of London and join Gala Coral at its Stratford headquarters.

Harrow Council recently granted prior approval to plans to develop the site into residential flats with Ladbrokes understood to have a break clause in its tenancy agreement which can be activated in 2017 or 2018.