Flutter announces new chief executive for UK & Ireland as it creates international division
Flutter Entertainment has announced the appointment of a new chief executive for UK & Ireland as it creates an international division
Flutter Entertainment said it is creating a simplified, two-divisional organisational structure to build on the company’s successful track record and deliver its growth strategy.
An enlarged Flutter International division, run by existing International CEO Dan Taylor, will sit alongside FanDuel, Flutter’s US business, run by Amy Howe. The Flutter International division will now consist of five regions: UK & Ireland (UKI), Asia-Pacific (APAC), Southern Europe & Africa (SEA), Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) and Brazil.
As a result of these changes, Pokerstars CEO Kevin Harrington will take over as CEO of the UK & Ireland region (Flutter UKI) from January 2025, reporting to Dan Taylor. Ian Brown, current Flutter UKI chief executive, has decided that this change marks the right time for him to leave the business given his own career ambitions, the Flutter statement added.
It continued: “The move follows a hugely successful two years under Ian’s tenure for Flutter UKI, which runs market-leading brands Sky Betting & Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, tombola and PokerStars.
“Ian hands the reins to Kevin, who joined Betfair in 2012 and has been involved with PokerStars since September 2020, initially as Chief Commercial Officer before becoming CEO in August 2023.”
Flutter Entertainment chief executive Peter Jackson said: “Ian’s time at Flutter has been enormously successful. He has transformed the UK & Ireland business on almost every metric and he will be a hard act to follow. Kevin’s promotion is very well-deserved and the business will be in safe hands as we embark on the next phase of our growth plan.”
Kevin Harrington said: “I’m incredibly proud to be given the chance to take over and run a business I first joined more than a decade ago. I want to continue the work that has made Flutter the clear market leader across the UK and Ireland and maintain the high standards we have set – with responsible gambling at the core of all our work.”
Mr Brown, who joined as Flutter UKI chief executive in September 2022, said: “The transformation over the last two years has been tremendously exciting.
"I am particularly proud that we have taken share in a challenging market, investing in customer innovation and our people. Kevin has a deep knowledge of our business, and I am confident he will build on the strong momentum to take Flutter UKI to new heights.
“I would like to say a sincere thank you to Peter and the whole Flutter team for what has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.”
Flutter UK & Ireland includes Sky Betting & Gaming, Paddy Power and the Betfair group of companies.
Last week, a spokesman told The Yorkshire Post that UK & Ireland business is doing really well, and Sky Bet is a key part of this recent success.
The spokesman added: “The business was also pleased to see Rachel Reeves recently call out the positive economic contribution that the business has made in Leeds.”