William Hill Online MD Andrew Lee departs
Director of corporate development and innovation Cripsin Nieboer takes over as interim MD
William Hill Online managing director Andrew Lee is to step down from the role this year as the operator continues to ring the management changes within its digital business.
In a Q4 trading update this morning, the company announced Lee will be replaced by its current director of corporate development and innovation, Crispin Nieboer, on an interim basis.
eGR understands Lee has been placed on gardening leave and will officially leave the firm at some point in 2016.
His departure follows the arrival of former Playtech man Aaron Johnston who was brought in by the firm as a consultant last year to “analyse and improve” the performance of the digital business.
Speaking to eGR this morning, Henderson said the management changes were part of its strategy to move into the “next phase of development” of its online business.
“We’ve delivered Trafalgar now so it’s about utilising that platform from a UX, product, innovation and personalisation element which is where Crispin comes in,” he said.
“Working out of our Shoreditch office, he’s been in charge of innovation and he’ll be absolutely best placed to deliver that through the Trafalgar platform.
“It’s a new phase of the platform, which we’re grateful to Andy for doing that, but it’s now about taking it, using it and differentiating ourselves through all the things I mentioned,” Henderson added.
Lee originally joined the operator in 2012 as the Corporate Development Office’s head of business integration and then interim head of mobile, before being named managing director of online in October 2012.
Formerly a City analyst, Lee played an integral part in the development of William Hill’s online technology overhaul, Project Trafalgar, which is currently in the process of being rolled out on desktop and mobile
His interim replacement Nieboer joined William Hill in August 2013 and has led the firm’s Shoreditch-based innovation centre, WHLabs, which includes a platform development team and a start-up accelerator programme.
Prior to William Hill he set up and ran Gaming Media Group, comprised of The Poker Channel, PokerHeaven.com, MermaidBet.dk and Casinojoy.com.
William Hill also this morning announced it had appointed Kevin O’Connor, formerly CTO of S&P Capital IQ and chief information officer (CIO) of Paddy Power, as its new group CIO.
Meanwhile William Hill this morning posted a trading update which revealed a 4% rise in full-year revenues.