Paddy Power promotes Johnny Hartnett to online MD in management shake-up
Current head of online Peter O'Donovan to take up new chief product role as CEO designate Andy McCue reassembles management team
Paddy Power is overhauling its digital management team after this morning announcing the promotion of director of operations Johnny Hartnett to managing director of online with incumbent Peter O’Donovan moving to the newly created role of chief product officer.
Hartnett, who joined the operator in 1999 and was formerly COO at Paddy Power’s Australia-facing brand Sportsbet, will assume responsibility for paddypower.com and paddypower.it, as well as Dial-a-Bet and customer operations.
Current online head O’Donovan will become the operator’s chief product officer and will be charged with leading Paddy Power’s technology and product development teams as well as its Cayetano game development studio in Bulgaria.
In addition to coordinating global product innovation, the technology department at Paddy’s Australian subsidiary Sportsbet will also have a “dotted reporting line” back to O’Donovan.
The changes, which are effective from 1 January, come as Andy McCue prepares to succeed Patrick Kennedy as chief executive officer of the Irish bookmaking giant at the turn of the year following his appointment in September.
And part of today’s reshuffle, global marketing director Christian Woolfenden has been appointed managing director, retail UK & Ireland, with head of brand Paul Sweeney taking over his role on an interim basis while Paddys conducts a “full external” search for a permenant replacement.
Dan Thomson, head of UK retail, will move to Dublin to take the dot.com role from Shane Doherty who will take up a new role as European finance director.
“These appointments reflect a strategic emphasis on customer and product,” McCue said. “I am delighted to be filling these positions with high calibre individuals with a proven track record of success in the group,” he added.
Kennedy revealed he would leave Paddy Power after more than a decade at the company in May, with head of retail Andy McCue appointed as his successor in September.