Entain chair to step down by the end of September
Barry Gibson calls time on spell with Ladbrokes Coral parent company as interim CEO Stella David set to replace the former Littlewoods CEO
Entain chair Barry Gibson will step down by the end of September this year and be replaced by the firm’s current interim CEO, Stella David.
Gibson, who became chair of the FTSE 100 firm in February 2020, is set to retire, with his departure potentially expedited depending on the appointment of a permanent CEO.
Entain confirmed the search for Jette Nygaard-Andersen’s replacement is “ongoing and is progressing well”.
David, herself a non-executive director since March 2021, was drafted in to replace the Dane following her exit in December.
Gibson was originally appointed to the Entain board in November 2019, having previously served as a non-executive director at William Hill.
During his career, Gibson also served as CEO of Littlewoods, chair of HomeServe and held non-executive director roles at Somerfield and National Express.
He was named chair in February 2020 to replace Lee Feldman after he announced his departure 11 months prior.
During his time as chair, Gibson oversaw Entain’s EBITDA rise by more than 50% and played a key role in the resolution of the HMRC investigation into allegations of bribery relating to a previously owned Turkey-facing business.
On his decision to step down as chair, Gibson said: “It has been a privilege to lead the board of Entain for the past four years and, while I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at this dynamic, exciting and innovative business, I reflected a little while ago that 2024 would be the right time for me to retire.
“I am delighted that, in Stella, Entain has an exceptional successor who knows the business well and has already proven herself to be a firm hand on the tiller in her role as interim CEO,” he added.
David praised Gibson for his leadership and guidance as chair as she commented on stepping up to head up the board.
She said: “Barry has been a wonderful mentor and source of wise counsel to so many people during his time as chair of Entain, and I would like to personally thank him for his unwavering support.
“The fact that we now have a solid platform and a clear plan for future growth is due in no small part to his efforts. I am entirely focused on my role as interim CEO as we work to accelerate our operational strategy, and look forward to taking over the baton from Barry in due course.”