Hopgood leaves Ladbrokes after 35 years

Ladbrokes’ international development director Kevin Hopgood is to leave the UK operator tomorrow after 35 years with the company, eGaming Review has learned.

The gaming veteran is said to be considering his options, including potentially starting his own consultancy business, while he completes a three month non-compete clause.

Hopgood is one of the last remaining long serving employees to leave the company since chief executive Richard Glynn’s arrival in May 2010. Since then a number of individuals in senior positions have been a casualty’s of new management changes including former egaming director John O’Reilly, now managing director of Coral Interactive, Ladbrokes former head of online Gary McIlraith, MD of egaming Ed Andrewes and former head of international and mobile Alex Kovach, who departed in March last year for a board position with UK lottery operator Camelot.

Hopgood has had a number of senior roles during his 35 years at the bookmaker including international development director for the last seven years, trading director from 2003 to 2005, regional director of operations for three years from 2000 to 2003 and director of telephone betting for less than a year in the late 1990s.

Former Rothschild director Adam Greenblatt who has been with the company for a year as director for corporate and strategic development, will take over Hopgood’s responsibilities, according to a company spokesman. “The international focus will be on China, Spain, Denmark and other new market opportunities,” the spokesman added.