People news 22 August 2013
The latest people moves from the egaming industry in the last seven days (16 August to 22 August 2013)
Probability COO Matt Sunderland resigns
Mobile executive departs after four years with the company, no plans for immediate replacement
Probability chief operating officer Matt Sunderland has resigned from his position after four years with the mobile operator, the company announced on Tuesday.
Sunderland joined Probability in 2009 and had overseen the group’s commercial strategy, with the company stating his resignation to be effective immediately as he pursues opportunities outside of the UK.
The UK-based operator confirmed that there are no immediate plans to replace Sunderland, with his duties to be shared between senior managers including CEO Charles Cohen, CFO Qurban Hussain and the newly appointed head of B2B Glenn Elliott.
Elliott has relocated to the UK in order to take up the role, having managed Probability’s subsidiary office in Gibraltar.
Probability CEO Charles Cohen said the company was grateful for Sunderland’s contribution to the company’s LadyLuck brand.
Seven days in people news:
Greek privatisation chief dismissed for ‘ethical reasons’
The chairman of the Greek privatisation agency responsible for selling the government’s 33% stake in OPAP has been dismissed after being pictured on a private jet belonging to Emma Delta investor Dimitris Melissanidis.
The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) completed a 650m deal to sell the stake in the gambling monopoly last week to equity fund Emma Delta, led by oil tycoon Melissanidis and Czech billionaire Jiri Smejc.
Pictures of Stelios Stavridis on board the jet were published in Greek newspaper Proto Thema, prompting the country’s finance minister Yannis Stournaras to call for his resignation.
Stavridis told the newspaper that after returning to Athens from holiday to sign the deal last week, Melissanidis had offered him a lift back to Kefalonia on his way to France.
Betfair appoints new legal chief
Betfair has appointed Fiona Russell as its new chief legal officer and company secretary after predecessor Martin Cruddace stood down at the end of June.
Russell, previously director of regulatory affairs at Betfair, joined the Hammersmith-based firm in 2006 from BSkyB where she held the position of in-house solicitor.
Qualifying in 2000 at magic circle law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Russell also spent six months on secondment at Goldman Sachs in 2002.
In June, Betfair revealed Cruddace was to step down from his roles at the end of the month before leaving the company altogether in September. He is said to be undecided on his next career move.
Paddy Power has announced that Jane Lighting, a non-executive director, has retired following a four year term on the firm’s board. Lighting, who left her post on 20 August, joined Paddy Power in September 2009 having previously been chief executive of UK terrestrial television channel Five.