Henry Birch named as new Rank CEO
Former William Hill Online CEO to take over from Ian Burke as of 6 May, with current CEO stepping into non-executive chairman role
Grosvenor Casino and Mecca Bingo owner The Rank Group has appointed Henry Birch, the former William Hill Online (WHO) chief executive, as successor to outgoing CEO Ian Burke.
Burke will stand down after eight years at the helm on 6 May and will assume the role of non-executive chairman, with the Rank board considering it “appropriate to ensure that [Rank] benefits from some continuity”.
Birch joins Rank approximately 17 months after leaving WHO having managed the online subsidiary, a joint venture between William Hill and software supplier Playtech, since its inception in 2008.
Prior to joining WHO Birch served as CEO at Leisure & Gaming PLC and had been COO at Israel-based online gaming developer Bettingcorp.
“With his track record in the online betting and gaming sector, the Rank board believes that Henry is well-equipped to lead Rank’s continued exploitation of growth opportunities in the gaming and leisure markets,” a Rank statement said.
“The board would like to thank Ian for his commitment and hard work over the past eight years and is delighted that, after consultation with a number of its shareholders, the company will continue to benefit from his significant experience,” it added.
Birch will join Rank at a time when the operator’s online business is set to be overhauled following poor performance from its Mecca Bingo brand.
Online revenues for H1 FY14 slipped 40% year-on-year to £6.8m, prompting the operator to begin improvement initiatives that will see the redesign of websites and content management systems.