Tabcorp names two CIO hires for demerged businesses

Australian gaming company Tabcorp has announced it is to appoint two new CIOs to head up tech operations of its two devolved divisions created as a result of its proposed demerger.

In July 2021, Tabcorp said, following failed bids of A$3bn and A$4bn respectively from both Entain and Apollo for its wagering division, that it was to demerge into two separate entities – the lottery and keno division and wagering.

While the demerger is yet to be ratified by regulators and shareholders, the two senior tech hires have brought that decision a step closer.

Loren Fisher, who is currently chief digital and information officer at Youi Insurance, has been appointed to head up tech in the standalone lotteries and keno business, to be renamed as The Lottery Corporation, while Alan Sharvin, head of digital at Australian plumbing company Reece Group, will become CIO for Tabcorp’s wagering, media and gaming operation.

Fisher has spent almost four years at Youi Insurance having previously worked in management roles for Rio Tinto and Toyota.

Sharvin will be returning to Tabcorp following his prior stint as general manager technology between May 2018 and December 2019. He then worked as senior tech manager at Amazon in Ireland before returning to Australia to head up Reece Group’s digital function since December 2020.

It has been announced that Fisher is due to start her role in June 2022 should the demerger proceed according to its current timeline. Sharvin is set to assume his role in April under the same condition.

As a result of the two new hires, current Tabcorp CIO Françoise Russo is set to leave the business in June following two years in her position.

In February, Tabcorp reported a 2.2% increase in revenue for the first six months of its financial year.