Paddy Power head of UK & Ireland Joe Lee departs
Trader behind ‘Trump Betting’ to leave Irish bookmaker as he reflects on his time with firm
Paddy Power Betfair head of UK and Ireland Joe Lee has stepped down from his role after spending more than 10 years with the operator.
Lee originally joined Paddy Power Betfair in April 2008 as US sports senior team leader before swapping Dublin for Melbourne in March 2012 to take up the same role with Sportsbet.
He returned to Paddy Power Betfair in January 2016 as head of product management.
One of Lee’s most unique roles saw him take the lead on Paddy Power Betfair’s ‘Trump Betting’ from August 2017 until November 2020.
Lee led the trading team on specific markets surrounding then US president Donald Trump, given his eccentric and outlandish nature.
Lee assumed the role of head of UK and Ireland in December 2018, and following Trump’s departure from the White House in November 2020, took on the role full time.
Speaking to EGR, Lee said it was the right time to depart Flutter and that he was looking forward to what the future held.
He said: “All good things must come to an end, and given the extensive learnings and industry experience I take with me, I feel the time is right for a new challenge, be that in the gaming industry or beyond.”
Touching on his time with the company, Lee championed his colleagues over the years and had a special mention for the Trump Betting project he worked on.
He continued: “My time with Paddy Power, and ultimately what was to become Flutter Entertainment, has been hugely rewarding and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities it presented.
“Obviously one of the highlights was when I worked with some very clever, quick-witted people on our Trump Betting project. A lowly job description publication snowballed into something significant and all of a sudden there were interviews with CNN, the New York Times and Sky News.
“It would be remiss of me not to mention the wonderful colleagues I worked with during my time across my various roles – people will always be the linchpin of any business and I’ve met some truly great ones all across Flutter,” he added.
Lee told EGR that he was working on a series of consultancy roles within the industry, sharing his expertise with both European and US operators.
He said: “I was recently approached by a senior executive to offer some opinions on the direction of travel of the industry. It’s a project that has certainly piqued my interest in this space given the substantial industry knowledge I possess, and has subsequently resulted in a number of additional contacts.”