Exclusive: Senior Marathonbet execs depart as head of retention joins William Hill

Marathonbet head of retention Rachel Thorogood will switch to William Hill following a marketing department reshuffle at the Brighton-based bookmaker.

Thorogood spent more than two years with Marathonbet, originally as digital marketing manager and head of customer communications before being promoted to head of retention in May 2019.

Her arrival at William Hill will be confirmed in the coming weeks, although the London-listed operator did not confirm her new job role with EGR.

EGR understands Marathonbet’s head of marketing, Sam Behar, has also left the operator for a London-based creative agency, while former head of sponsorships John Ali has landed a new role as head of brand at medical insurance company Simplyhealth after being made redundant in April.

Certain aspects of the departing trio’s job responsibilities will be assumed by Madrid-based Victor Sierra Reyes, Marathonbet’s head of marketing for Europe.

Behar was understood to have been the only British representative on Marathonbet’s 10-person executive board governed by CEO Natalia Zavodnik.

Relatively little is known about Marathonbet’s Russia-facing Panserve parent company, but the operator has gained significant market share in the UK thanks to its market-leading margins.

Sponsorship was also a key strategy for growing the Marathonbet brand in the UK. The operator secured several big money deals with clubs including Manchester United and Manchester City.

The operator is facing an uncertain future in the UK as the vast majority of staff remain on furlough in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.