KingMakers promotes former Flutter chief to CEO
Ronnie Whelan will take the reins of the Africa-focused operator after a rise up the ranks from chief operating officer
KingMakers has appointed Ronnie Whelan as its new CEO, nearly two years after he arrived at the Africa-facing firm.
Whelan joined KingMakers as chief operating officer (COO) from Flutter Entertainment in May 2023, where he held the title of chief experience officer for 16 months.
Prior to that, Whelan spent five years at Sky Betting and Gaming, initially as a trading director in April 2016 until he was appointed as managing director of customer experience two years later.
Whelan has notable experience at C-suite level, having also served as COO for Sporting Index’s B2B division between April 2008 and August 2011.
He remained at Sporting Index for a further four years as business development director before departing in 2016.
Taking to LinkedIn to confirm the news, Whelan wrote: “I am excited and proud to confirm my appointment as CEO of KingMakers.
“It is a real thrill to have the opportunity to lead our talented teams as we continue to build our ambitions of becoming a truly pan-African betting and gaming platform.”
The parent company of BetKing boasts an experienced management team, including former Entain head Jaspal Kang as group CFO and ex-William Hill chief technology officer (CTO) Tom Quinn, who holds the same title at KingMakers.
Last year, the operator partnered with broadcasting company MultiChoice to launch SuperSportBet in South Africa.
Following the launch, new sponsorship deals were announced with two of South Africa’s biggest football clubs, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
The operator is live in South Africa and Nigeria via its SuperSportBet and BetKing brands and uses its free-to-play brand SuperPicks in Ghana.
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.