SportCaller recruits Grand Parade’s Andy Clerkson as chairman
Tech agency founder will guide the free-to-play specialists on strategic direction, product development and corporate governance
Free-to-play (FTP) games company SportCaller has appointed Grand Parade founder Andy Clerkson as its first ever chairman.
Clerkson founded technology agency Grand Parade in 2007 before selling to William Hill in 2016. He has since helped Hills expand into newly-regulated states in the US throughout 2018.
William Hill hailed the acquisition benefits of its partnership with SportCaller in March after integrating the firm’s Lucky 7 horseracing game and Football21 prediction game.
The firm has also established a working relationship with GVC and Paddy Power Betfair as FTP games have become an increasingly popular method for operators looking to boost their retention efforts.
SportCaller chairman Andy Clerkson
Cillian Barry, SportCaller MD, said: “I’m thrilled that Andy is joining us. His experience as a founder, successfully steering Grand Parade from start-up to scale-up, is invaluable for us.
“I look forward to working with him on strategic direction, new products and the fun stuff like corporate governance as we extend our reach in different markets around the world.
“It’s been a particularly busy period for the company with the World Cup proving a huge success with unprecedented levels of engagement across our games.
“We have some really exciting plans in place for the next few months and are looking forward to bringing the most engaging FTP sports games to more players than ever before.”
Prior to setting up Grand Parade, Clerkson published Maxim USA for Dennis Publishing, which became the largest men’s magazine in the world, selling more than 2.5 million copies a month.
Clerkson added: “The FTP market has exploded recently and SportCaller are driving the innovation in the sector, so it’s a great time to be joining as chairman.
“What is really exciting is the potential for further growth around the world, not least in the US following the repeal of PASPA.
“I look forward to working closely with Cillian and his team to continue developing the strategy, which is all about value creation for our partners and their players.”